I Am Not My Father
by jensonandbaker
Summary: Lord Voldemort has returned and he wants to recruit Draco Malfoy to join his army of Death Eaters. He presents him with the task of murdering one of the greatest wizards of all time - Albus Dumbledore. Draco cannot risk the safety of his fiancee so, together, they flee with nothing more than a bag full of clothes and their love for each other.
1. The Meeting

It was approaching midnight. Savannah Falconer marked the page in her aged book and set it aside – she was too nervous to concentrate any longer. Hearing a distant clock tower strike twelve, Savannah climbed down from the four-poster bed she shared with her fiancé, Draco, and slowly walked towards the large window which overlooked the grounds of Malfoy Manor.

She lifted the stiff glass and a pleasant breeze entered the room, making the green curtains dance. It was cloudy outside, but most of the lights on the lower floors of the manor were still on, so Savannah could see the acres of dark green lawn lined with pine trees at the far end. She stood still and let the fresh air fill her lungs. It helped to steady her breathing. An owl hooted loudly and it made Savannah jump backwards. She hated feeling so on edge and uncomfortable in her own skin.

Draco was downstairs in the drawing room with his mother and father, and they were not alone. It was no secret that the Malfoys had pledged their allegiance to the Dark Lord and his wish to purge the wizarding world of muggle-borns and blood traitors. Sixteen years ago, when You-Know-Who was defeated and reduced to nothing more than a creature, Draco's father, Lucius, had avoided a custodial sentence in Azkaban by claiming that he only carried out the Dark Lord's bidding under the influence of the Imperius Curse. The wizarding world remained peaceful after that, safe in the knowledge that the wizard everyone feared most was a human no longer and had fled.

But that peace was over. Lord Voldemort had returned, more powerful than he had ever been before. A second Wizarding War was brewing. He was angry at his Death Eaters for abandoning him when the Aurors came searching; for leaving him to fend for himself in a foreign land while he tried to figure out a way to become human once more. He was back, he was bitter, and he wanted revenge.

Naturally, he came after the Malfoys first. Lucius and his sister-in-law, Bellatrix Lestrange, had been among the Dark Lord's most loyal and trusted followers. They were granted privileges and were honoured with more responsibility than the other Death Eaters. Their commitment was fierce – their betrayal even more so.

The Dark Lord had organised a gathering at Malfoy Manor and all of his former servants were ordered to attend – or else they would face the punishment of death. Knowing that only metres below her, Lord Voldemort, in his new and magnificent body, the most feared wizard in not just the country, but the world, was prowling around the drawing room made Savannah's insides twist.

She was scared for Draco. He was only a mere few weeks old at the time of the last War. But he was a man now. At sixteen years old, he was as good as a fully trained wizard. Capable of inflicting pain with complicated jinxes and curses, with a large group of young, influential peers to follow his lead, and a member of one of the purest wizarding families, he was a perfect candidate to become a Death Eater.

Draco did not want this. His parents did not want it for him, and neither did Savannah – but they all knew they would not have a say. No one questioned Lord Voldemort. He was a master manipulator, cunning, sly and willing to stop at nothing to get what he wanted. And he wanted Draco.

Savannah heard the scraping of chairs coming from below, along with several footsteps and the creak of a door – the meeting had adjourned. Savannah's heart beat even faster now – she was petrified to hear Draco's report about the Dark Lord's plans for him.

Someone was running up the stairs. Savannah quickly closed the window and turned to see her distraught fiancé enter the bedroom.

"Draco…" she started.

Before she could say any more, Draco slammed the door closed behind him and cast a silencing charm to protect him and Savannah from being overheard by any Death Eaters that may still be lingering. His wand shook in his hand as he performed the spell. He was dressed in his smartest black suit, his blonde hair swept to the side. He was sickly pale. It looked as though he had been fighting the urge to cry for the past several hours, as his eyes were red and watering.

He rushed towards Savannah and took her in his arms. He allowed himself to cry now that he was in the safety of his fiancée's presence. Savannah shushed Draco and rubbed his back gently as his body shook vigorously.

"Tell me what happened, Draco," she said softly.

Draco broke away from the embrace and placed his hands firmly on Savannah's shoulders, tears falling freely down his face. Draco's urgency caused Savannah to panic, but she knew she had to be strong for him.

"We have to go," he whispered, his wide grey eyes making direct contact with Savannah's brown ones.

"Go?" she whispered back.

Another creak and the sound of mumbling came from downstairs. Draco gasped and immediately snapped his head towards the closed oak door that was still sealed with the silencing charm. Savannah gulped. She knew nothing fortunate would come out of the meeting with the Dark Lord, but Draco's behaviour was frightening.

"It's okay, Draco," she reassured him, gently placing a soft hand on his damp cheek. He turned to face his wife to be again. "What do you mean? Why do we have to go?"

Draco shook his head with frustration. He looked as though he was formulating a plan inside his head but kept discarding ideas and becoming increasingly anxious.

"He wants me," he started. "He wants me to… to…"

Draco was still paranoid about the noise coming from the lower floors.

"To do what, Draco?"

"He wants me to kill Dumbledore," he breathed after a few moments of excruciating silence.

Savannah's eyes widened with disbelief. Albus Dumbledore, headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and the only man Lord Voldemort had ever feared.

" _What?!"_ she spluttered. "But you can't, you…"

Draco shook his head again.

"I know…" he continued. "He wants me… he wants me to come to Knockturn Alley next week, so that..."

Another wave of salty tears spilled out of Draco's eyes.

"So that you can get the Dark Mark imprinted on your skin." Savannah concluded.

Draco nodded and took a deep breath. "But it's okay, we're… we're going to get away…"

Draco released his grip on Savannah and rushed over to his large wardrobe. He quickly started pulling out t-shirts, jeans and jumpers and threw them onto his bed.

"Choose what you want to take," he said distractedly, now reaching for a moderately sized black leather bag. He placed it on the bed beside the clothes, muttered an incantation which Savannah recognised as an undetectable extension charm, and began stuffing the items inside it.

This was very out of character for Draco. He was normally extremely particular about things. He needed everything to be just 'so', well organised and neatly arranged. Savannah had never seen him as flustered.

" _Come on!"_ he urged. "We're leaving first thing tomorrow."

"Draco, I…"

" _Please_ , Savannah," he paused his task and looked desperately at his future wife. "You don't understand…" he whispered. "If I don't do this, he'll…"

Savannah raised her eyebrows worriedly.

"He'll kill me and then he'll kill you. _Please_ , Savannah," he repeated. "We have to go."

Savannah took a deep breath and nodded confidently. Draco was right – they had to leave, and quickly. She too rushed over to the wardrobe she shared with her fiancé and hurriedly selected the clothes she wanted to pack. Draco took them from her and put them in the bag.

They both gathered shoes – a pair of Wellingtons, a pair of walking boots, and a pair of trainers each, and added them to the bag that seemed to stretch for miles.

"Broomstick, broomstick…" Draco muttered, retrieving his Air Wave Gold from the corner of his bedroom. Savannah couldn't believe her eyes when he dropped it inside the leather bag with no difficulty at all.

"Go and get your washbag, love," Draco instructed Savannah.

She opened the door to Draco's luxury ensuite bathroom and collected toiletries for both her and Draco from the shelves and cabinets. She also gathered underwear and pyjamas for the two of them. Once she had retrieved them, she placed them alongside the clothes, shoes and broomstick in the bag.

Draco was fiddling with the dial on a large silver safe that was built into the opposite wall. With a few clicks, the door opened, and Draco pulled out several large velvet pouches, full to the brims with shining Galleons.

"Merlin's beard, Draco," gasped Savannah in awe.

"I told you I'd always look after you, darling," Draco gave a little smile, wiped away his remaining tears and handed the pouches over to Savannah, which she added to their belongings.

"Blankets," Savannah said, crawling under the four-poster to retrieve two neatly folded tartan throws.

"Pillows, as well," Draco collected several cushions from on top of his bed and inserted them into the ever-extending luggage bag.

"Is that everything?" he asked, scanning the room for anything they may have missed.

Savannah nodded as she secured the zip around the bag. Draco placed it beside the door, ready to pick up in the morning.

The two of them changed into night clothes. Draco didn't usually wear anything to bed. Savannah realised he must have wanted some physical protection since he was feeling so vulnerable and afraid tonight.

They climbed into the king-sized bed together. Draco turned the lamp off and they were consumed in sudden darkness. He held his arm out, so Savannah had room to cuddle in beside him and rest her head on his shoulder. He held onto her protectively, stroking her wavy dark locks. He placed a kiss on Savannah's forehead as she rested her hand over Draco's heart, comforted by the rise and fall of his chest, even if it was still very rapid.

"I'm so sorry, Savannah," said Draco. "I never wanted any of this to happen to you. I knew he would come after me but I didn't think he would threaten you as well. If you want to stop this…"

"No, Draco," Savannah firmly interrupted him. "I'm not abandoning you. We're in this together. Don't you dare apologise."

She looked up at her fiancé and they swapped reassuring smiles.

"Good," whispered Draco. "Because… I don't know what I would do without you."

Savannah placed a tender kiss on her fiance's trembling lips and Draco's muscles began to relax.

"I love you, Draco," she said seriously, gently running her fingers through his short blond hair.

"I love you too, my angel," Draco whispered, his lips meeting those of his wife to be again.


	2. Lisky

Draco and Savannah crept out of bed just as the sun was beginning to rise. Savannah had had a terrible few hours of sleep, plagued with nightmares and horrific images of Draco being slaughtered by the Dark Lord. Draco was unsure whether he had gotten any real sleep at all, or if he just spent the night with a glazed look in his eyes, holding his fiancée in his arms as though she were his lifeline.

The silencing charm Draco had placed on the bedroom door had disintegrated. Quietly, he and Savannah washed and got dressed into comfortable clothing and sensible shoes. Draco picked up the bag that contained their essential belongings and took one last look around the room.

"Will you miss it? Here?" asked Savannah in a hushed voice.

Draco took a moment and then shook his head.

"No," he said. "No, this place stopped being home when my father… when all this You-Know-Who business started again."

Savannah simply nodded. This was not the time to question Draco about the history between him and his father. Draco held out his hand and Savannah interlaced her fingers with his.

Together, they tip-toed along the corridor clad with tapestries and framed portraits of the Malfoy family's ancestors. They reached the grand wooden staircase lined with deep red carpet and slowly descended it, both looking over their shoulders every few seconds to make sure they had not woken Narcissa, Lucius or any of the staff employed by them. The ground floor of the manor was still and quiet, apart from the ticking of the grandfather clock in the main living room.

They approached the large front doors. Savannah's knees shook slightly. They were going to do it. She and Draco, they were going to leave, escape the grasp of his parents, the Death Eaters and the Dark Lord. Draco reached out to turn the handle, but Savannah felt something tug on the bottom of her khaki green jacket.

She yelped and Draco swiftly covered her mouth with his hand. They turned around to find Lisky, the Malfoy's house elf, staring at them with her bulbous blue eyes. Her ears stuck out and flapped as though they were detecting the latest gossip, her slim nose was long and pointed, and her skin the colour of dirty and faded parchment. She had wrapped a pink tea towel around her bony, skeletal frame.

"Master Malfoy! Mistress Falconer!" she beamed.

"SSSSSSSH!" Draco hissed, taking his hand away from Savannah's face. Lisky brought her fingers up to her mouth in guilt.

"I'm sorry, Master Malfoy," she whispered squeakily. "Are you not eating breakfast this morning?"

"No, Lisky," Draco explained. "We're leaving."

" _Leaving_?"

"Yes. And you are not to tell my mother, father, or anyone else for that matter."

"Understood, Master Malfoy." Lisky nodded. "Where will you go?"

"We don't know yet," Draco whispered. "But we can't stay here."

"Very well, Master Malfoy. But wait one more minute! Lisky must pack some food for Master Malfoy and Mistress Falconer!"

Lisky immediately skipped off down the hallway to the kitchens. Draco rolled his eyes and sighed with frustration.

"Won't be long now," Savannah reassured him quietly, rubbing his upper arm.

Lisky returned with a hamper covered in a red and white checked cloth. It was heavier than she was, but she was determined to deliver the large package.

"Inside are some bread rolls, fresh of course, Lisky knows how much Mistress Falconer likes Lisky's fresh bread rolls. And there's some butter, and Master Malfoy's favourite blackcurrant jam. There are apples from the garden, and, and some strawberries, and some cheese. And Lisky has put a bottle of Master Malfoy's Firewhisky… ooh, that rhymed! Um, Lisky has put a bottle of Master Malfoy's Firewhisky in the hamper also, as Lisky knows it is Master Malfoy's most beloved beverage, and Lisky will miss Master Malfoy very much, and Mistress Falconer as well."

They were both rather taken aback by this sudden gush of affection from the little house-elf.

"Thank you, Lisky." Savannah reached down and took the hamper from her. Draco opened the bag in which he had cast an undetectable extension charm and Savannah placed it inside.

"Thanks," Draco agreed. "Now you mustn't utter a word of this to anyone, Lisky. I mean it. In a few hours, my mother and father will realise that we've gone, but the information is not to come from your mouth."

"Oh, yes, Master Malfoy! Lisky understands, Master Malfoy."

Draco nodded and turned the handle of the front door, allowing the sound of birdsong to enter the manor. They paused for a few seconds, consumed with the reality of what was about to happen.

"We have to go now, Lisky," said Savannah. "Thank you for everything."

"Oh, you're welcome Mistress Falconer! So very welcome! Goodbye, Master Malfoy. It has been a privilege to serve you and Lisky will miss you very much."

Draco smiled from the corner of his mouth.

"I'll miss you too, Lisky. Goodbye."

Lisky waved as Draco and Savannah stepped outside into the grounds.

"You ready?" said Draco, looking at his wife to be.

"No," Savannah answered truthfully. "You?"

"No," Draco tried to smile but a stronger look of fear soon defeated his grin.

OoOoOoO

It was nearing eight o'clock when Narcissa knocked on her son's bedroom door.

"Draco?"

She entered to find that neither Draco nor Savannah were there. Instead, a folded piece of parchment rested against one of the lamps. Her heart sank. Narcissa knew what had happened. She had a suspicion Draco would attempt something like this after his meeting with the Dark Lord, although she did not expect it so soon. She took a deep breath and nervously picked up the letter.

 _Dear Mother and Father,_

 _I will not go into detail about what I plan to do in case you show this to the Dark Lord. What I will tell you, is that by the time you read this, Savannah and I will be far away from here. We will not be returning. Do not try to contact me. I want nothing more to do with this._

 _Draco._


	3. Help

"What – in the name of _Merlin_ – do you mean, 'he's _gone_?'" Lucius angrily paced the living room in front of the crackling coal fire which had been lighted earlier that morning by Lisky.

"Coward." Bellatrix muttered in a disgusted tone. "He's definitely his father's son, alright."

"Watch your mouth, Bella." Lucius sneered.

"Stop, both of you," Narcissa interjected. "Where could he be?"

"More importantly, _what are we going to do?!_ " screeched Bellatrix. "The Dark Lord is expecting Draco to take the Mark in a matter of days. He'll think you've helped him escape, Lucius. You, who deserted the Dark Lord when he was most in need, who embarrassed yourself and the Dark Lord in the Department of Mysteries, and was sent to _Azkaban_ where you could no longer serve your master… doesn't that seem a little bit suspicious?"

"What _exactly_ are you insinuating?" Lucius hissed. "I played no part in this. Draco can save us all. When he takes the Mark, and kills that wretched oaf, respect will be restored to the name of Malfoy. The Dark Lord will see favourably upon us once more."

"Lucius, our son is _missing_!" Narcissa cried desperately. "And all you can think about is our reputation."

"He's not _missing_ , Cissy, he ran away. Abandoned his master when it mattered most. Just like Lucius did. The apple never falls far from the tree."

"He's just a boy. He never asked for this!"

"No, the _honour_ was gifted to him by the Dark Lord himself. Draco should be grateful. But instead he's slithered away with that little tramp of his to avoid the responsibility."

"Bella, for once in your life, would you kindly _stop talking_ for the sake of Merlin!" Lucius roared.

"I'm going to search his room," said Narcissa after a brief pause. "See if I can find anything that might give us a clue as to where he plans to go."

"Why do you _care_?!" Bellatrix spat. "He's shown his true colours, Cissy! Let him go. Let him grow cold and hungry and poor. Let him rot in the gutter and die face down in the dirt."

 _Smack._

Bellatrix gasped as her sister's hand whipped her across the cheek, leaving her stunned and speechless.

"I care because I'm a mother, Bella," Narcissa said through clenched teeth. "Something you will never be. I don't expect you to understand. I need to find my son."

OoOoO

Draco and Savannah had left Malfoy Manor, entered the woods and began running. They ran, and ran, and ran, and did not stop running until Savannah collapsed against a tree with a stitch in her side. But still, they remained on the vast amount of land owned by the Malfoys.

"Hold on," she gasped, trying to catch her breath.

Draco looked behind them nervously but went over to put his hand on Savannah's back.

"Are you alright?"

She straightened up and looked at Draco.

"How far away is it?" she panted.

"We're almost there," Draco reassured her. "If we Apparate here they'll know there's a wizard in the vicinity. We need to get to the Muggle village, find a hiding place, and then we can go."

Savannah nodded and took Draco's hand. Through more woodland they raced, skipping over logs and ducking under branches. They jumped over a stream and avoided marshland and crushed wild flowers underneath their feet. Soon enough, the trees became thinner, the ground evened out and sunlight began to warm their faces – they had reached the edge of the woods, and were no longer in the grounds of Malfoy Manor.

The village of Farncombe was like any typical village you'd expect to find in the English countryside – small and quaint, with thatched cottages, a sweet shop and a pub. Life was still, predictable and nothing out of the ordinary ever occurred. It was not the ideal hiding place for a witch and wizard on the run, but it was their only option.

Draco and Savannah finally allowed themselves to slow down, but kept up a brisk walking pace as they toured the village, looking for an appropriate place to disappear. An elderly gentleman exited the post office, a newspaper clutched under his arm and a pipe clenched between his lips. He wore a knitted green jumper over a white shirt, and a flat brown cap on his head.

"Morning!" he called, keeping the pipe in his mouth and raising his free arm in greeting.

"Morning," Savannah smiled back.

She was not used to conversing with strangers in this way, as she had grown up in a busy city in Scotland. However, she knew from spending Easter at the cottage her muggle aunt and uncle owned in the Highlands that different rules applied in areas like this. Draco kept his head down and sped up again.

" _Slow down_ ," Savannah whispered. "You'll draw attention to us."

Draco turned back to the man who was now giving the two of them a rather peculiar look, as though he did not understand what they were doing here or why he had never seen them before. Although Draco had lived in Malfoy Manor since he was born, he was never permitted to enter the Muggle village. His father had always taught him that Muggles were lazy, criminal and not worth his time.

"Come on."

He ushered Savannah behind a little tea room which had not yet opened for business that day.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Savannah muttered.

"He's the only person I can think of who'll be able to help us."

Draco held out his arm and looked at his fiancée.

"I need you," he said vulnerably.

"You have me."

As soon as Savannah placed her hand on Draco's arm, the two of them were pulled from the Muggle village by a forceful tugging sensation behind their navels. They twisted and tumbled through a void of blurry lights and unidentifiable shapes. They landed with a _crack_ in a narrow alleyway and held onto each other to keep their balance.

"This way," Draco wrapped his hand protectively around Savannah's lower back and guided her down the dark path.

Savannah had never been to this place before, but it was unlike anywhere she was used to, and quite different to the charming village of Farncombe. They were in an industrial town, with rows and rows of ancient terraced houses. Factory chimneys smoked in the distance, polluting the sky with a mass of black smoke. The place was deserted. Not even birds sang. An eerie atmosphere was cast upon them. It made Savannah think of death and despair.

They turned onto one of the many identical streets of shabby houses. Most of them had boarded up windows and tiles missing from the rooves. The small gardens in front of them were unkempt, grass and weeds towering above the brown brick walls. She could not imagine anyone living here, not even the man they were trying to find.

They made several left and right turns through the maze of uniform roads. Draco could sense that Savannah was uneasy, and so he pulled her in closer to him and moved his hand from her lower back to around her shoulder.

"It's going to be alright," he whispered, kissing the side of her head.

Neither of them believed it.

They eventually came to the residence they had been searching for – a terraced house that was first in the row of many. This one looked somewhat presentable. The garden had been tended to, the windows were complete and the roof intact.

Draco rapped on the brass door knocker and took a step backwards.

The wait that followed was almost unbearable. Draco and Savannah comforted each other by squeezing the other's hand. Eventually a dark figure loomed behind the frosted glass cut into the black front door. The handle turned and the door opened slowly.

"You foolish boy."

Severus Snape stepped aside and allowed them to enter.


	4. Hope

Draco and Savannah hesitantly crossed the threshold of Snape's home. It was just like his dungeon classroom at Hogwarts – dark, uninviting and mysterious.

He led them into a small room. On their right, was a wall completely lined with bookshelves. Books and manuals and volumes of all sizes and thickness left the wall behind them invisible. To their left, two tall windows were bordered with old embroidered curtains which were a displeasing shade of brown. There was an empty fireplace, an armchair, a small couch, and a low coffee table. A drinks cabinet stood in the corner, full of bottles of mead and wine.

"Sit." Snape instructed them, igniting the fire with a flick of his wand.

Draco and Savannah lowered themselves onto the couch while Snape took up his place on the armchair beside the fire. There was an uncomfortable silence, interrupted only by the ticking of the clock mounted on the wall behind them.

"You have made an idiotic decision, Draco," he drawled in his silky voice, examining the two of them with his beaded black eyes. "And I expected better judgement from you, Falconer."

"We had to leave," Draco said quietly, leaning forward and wringing his hands in his lap. "I can't kill Dumbledore."

"I believe Auntie Bellatrix is very well acquainted with the Unforgivable Curses, Draco. I'm sure she would be more than happy to engage in a little tuition."

"I won't do it," Draco clenched his teeth. "I will not become… one of _you_."

Snape paused and tilted his head upwards, as though an unpleasant smell had just wafted under his nose.

"The Dark Lord made it perfectly clear what would happen if you did not obey him."

"Which is why we're here," said Savannah in a small voice. "We need help. Please, Professor. We don't believe you would want Professor Dumbledore to be killed."

"What I want is irrelevant, Miss Falconer. It is the Dark Lord's bidding. Draco must not fail him."

" _I never asked for this_ ," Draco hissed.

He started to rock back and forth as salty tears prickled inside his eyes. Savannah wished she could comfort him, but she could feel Snape's gaze boring in to her, as though he could see right in to the depths of her soul. Then she remembered that he was a highly skilled Legilimens, so he probably was, in fact, staring into the depths of her soul.

"Professor, I know you care deeply for Draco. And I know you wouldn't want any harm to come to him. He's made his decision, and… maybe it wasn't the wisest, but… we can't go back now."

Snape sighed as though he was eager to finish this conversation.

"What exactly do you want me to do, Miss Falconer? Lie to the Dark Lord about my knowledge of your escape? He already has doubts about where my allegiance lies. If he discovers I have aided you, I am as good as dead." Snape sneered.

"But he's not going to find out." Draco said sternly.

Snape raised an eyebrow, surprised that Draco had challenged him like this.

"You want out of this just as much as I do. The only difference is, you're willing to lie and cheat to save your own skin. _You_ are the coward – _Severus_. I thought you were better than that. I looked up to you. How wrong I was. It turns out you're nothing more than a quivering mess, whose life is so empty that you feed off destroying others."

" _Get out of my house_ ," Snape growled, standing up and looming over Draco and Savannah. "Have you come here simply to insult me? How dare you speak to me in such a way!"

Savannah squirmed and Draco held her close to him.

"Let's go," he muttered.

They stood up and quickly started walking towards the door. Draco turned the handle, let Savannah exit first, and he was about to close the door behind him when Snape spoke again.

"Wait."

They turned to look at the bat-like man once more, who seemed to be having an internal battle with himself, debating whether he should say the next thing that was about to come out of his mouth.

"I know someone. Someone who can help you disappear."

"Please…" Draco breathed.

"Burris. Otto Burris. You'll find him in Knockturn Alley."

"It's too dangerous," said Savannah immediately. "Knockturn Alley's swarming with Death Eaters."

"Then I have no more assistance to offer you." Snape concluded simply.

Draco paused.

"What does he do? Burris?"

"He'll create new identities for you both. Names, fingerprints, identification papers. Any trace of your DNA will be removed from you and replaced with false traces. He's helped many a criminal avoid a spell in Azkaban, undetected."

"What does he charge?" Savannah asked suspiciously.

"His terms are different for each client. He'll arrange those with you when you meet."

"And you're sure he won't turn us in?" said Draco.

"If that man went anywhere near the authorities, he'd be sent to Azkaban for much longer than any of the wizards he's assisted."

Draco looked at Savannah. She shrugged lightly, allowing Draco to make the call.

"Okay. What do we need to do?"

"I'll send an owl instructing him to meet you behind Trackleshanks' Locksmith tonight. He'll negotiate payment with you and then he'll take you to his quarters."

Draco nodded.

"Thank you."

He placed his hand on Savannah's lower back again and ushered her down the cramped hallway and outside into the smoky air.


	5. The News is Delivered

After receiving the information from their former Potions master about the crook who crafted false identities for rogue wizards, Draco and Savannah had Apparated to a run-down part of London, behind a fish and chip shop where large rubbish bins shielded them from view. Although Draco had enough Galleons to last them for a solid few months, Savannah knew they would need Muggle money to survive as well.

She was one of the very few half-bloods in Slytherin house. Her father, a Scottish wizard who had also attended Hogwarts, married a Muggle woman and they raised Savannah together on the outskirts of Edinburgh. As a result, Savannah had grown up with knowledge of both the wizarding world and the Muggle world. Her father supplied her with an allowance of Galleons, while her mother matched this allowance in pounds.

She used the Galleons from her father to purchase her robes, books and other school supplies from Diagon Alley before each new school year. She also spent it in Honeydukes and The Three Broomsticks during her weekend trips to Hogsmeade with Draco and their fellow Slytherins. Most of the pounds given to her by her mother remained in the Muggle bank, as she had little use for them during her long terms at Hogwarts. She was grateful that she had access to the currency now, as there was no doubt that she and Draco would need it if they were going to disappear successfully.

They searched for a bank, where Savannah withdrew all of her Muggle money. She then took Draco to a stationery shop, where she bought paper, envelopes and postage stamps. Draco curiously inspected the Muggle pens on sale, trying to figure out how the ink would transfer onto a surface. Savannah slipped some into her basket, smiled and said, "I'll explain later." Draco grinned for which felt for the first time in an age, and followed her to the till.

Their next stop was a small café which served delicious cooked breakfasts. Draco and Savannah placed their orders and chose a table in the far corner – they didn't want to sit too close to the window in case Voldemort had already sent patrols out onto the streets to look for them. After they had filled their hungry stomachs with bacon, sausages, eggs and toast, Savannah composed a letter to her parents explaining what had happened. She gave Draco a blank sheet of paper and a pen.

"So… this is Muggle quill?" Draco raised his eyebrows and tried to mimic the way Savannah held it in her hand.

"Yes, it's a pen," she giggled. "It already has ink inside, so it's ready to write with. Try it."

Amused, Draco put the nib onto the paper, just like he would place the nib of a quill onto a piece of parchment. He began to write his name, and gasped in surprise.

"It's so smooth! Not at all like a sharp quill on rough parchment."

"Ssh!" Savannah laughed quietly, making sure the large woman pouring coffee behind the counter hadn't heard that.

"Let's go," she muttered. "I need to post this."

Draco smiled and wrapped his arm around Savannah's shoulder.

"You're amazing," he beamed.

"You're not so bad yourself," she replied, resting her head in the crook of her fiance's neck.

OoOoO

"We must alert the Dark Lord," said Bellatrix.

"No!" Narcissa insisted.

It was now almost eighteen hours since Draco and Savannah had fled Malfoy Manor. Bellatrix, Narcissa and Lucius had been debating between each other about what to do. Bellatrix's temper had been rising throughout the day, and she made no effort to hide her disgust at Draco's actions. As Bellatrix became louder, Lucius became quieter. His eyes were full of fear, and he looked as though he was desperately trying to formulate a plan in his head but failing miserably. Narcissa had found no trace of her son's plans when she had searched his bedroom that morning, and she wished that Draco would return before the Death Eaters caught him.

"If we find him and bring him home, the Dark Lord need never know about this," she reasoned.

"Narcissa's right," Lucius mumbled. "We've faced enough scrutiny already. If the Dark Lord discovers what has happened, he may kill us all. Including you, Bellatrix."

"The Dark Lord trusts me! Unlike you. He'd never harm me. I've spent over 25 years serving him, and I have not yet failed."

"What's more important to you, Bella? Your reputation, or your nephew's safety?" asked Narcissa.

"Draco is no nephew of mine."

Narcissa had to turn her head to avoid letting her sister see her tears.

"And therefore, I have no loyalty to him. He's a traitor. And my master deserves to know when there is a traitor in his midst."

Bellatrix violently pulled up her left sleeve, revealing the Dark Mark imprinted on her forearm.

"NO!" Lucius thundered, jumping over furniture to reach his sister-in-law.

He grabbed Bellatrix around the neck and pushed her onto the polished wooden floor beneath them, knocking her wand out of her hand. But it was too late. Bellatrix had already pressed the tip of her wand against the Mark branded on her skin. The Dark Lord was on his way.


	6. To Knockturn Alley

"Bella… Bella, what have you done?"

Narcissa sunk to her knees and covered her mouth with her hands. Lucius released his grip on Bellatrix and helped his wife to stand.

"Come on, dear, we… we need to be strong," he whispered, holding Narcissa close to him as Bellatrix scrambled to her feet.

"Stop it, Lestrange. Please," Lucius begged.

Bellatrix's lips curled into a smile. She fed off being the one in control, the one with all the power.

"Give us… give us three days. That's when Draco is supposed to take the Mark. Give us three days to find him," said Lucius fearfully.

"Why should I?" Bellatrix smirked.

"Because he's my SON and I love him!" cried Narcissa.

Bellatrix cackled loudly.

"You'll have to do better than that, Cissy."

"CRUCIO!"

Lucius pointed his wand at his sister-in-law and, with a high-pitched scream, she fell to the ground. Narcissa gasped as Bellatrix's body began convulsing, her arms and legs flailing in all directions, electric currents of pain jolting through her muscles and down to her bones.

"CRUCIO! CRUCIO! CRUCIO!" Lucius roared, with three more flicks of his wand.

"Lucius!" Narcissa breathed, lowering her husband's wand arm firmly.

The curse regenerated itself three times stronger and caused Bellatrix to produce ear-splitting shrieks. She looked as though she was experiencing a very violent seizure, her body becoming more rigid every second, her head smacking repeatedly against the wooden floor until a wound opened and blood started dripping.

When the effect of the curses finally wore off and Bellatrix lay curled up, trembling and whimpering, Lucius approached her and picked up her wand. He yanked Bellatrix's wrist but she was too exhausted to react. He placed Bellatrix's own wand against the Dark Mark on her forearm, cancelling her signal to the Dark Lord.

OoOoO

Draco and Savannah held hands as they weaved in and out of the busy crowd of people walking down Charing Cross Road. Eventually, they reached what looked like an old, desolate building. A Muggle would probably think it was a suspicious establishment that had been closed by the police, but Draco and Savannah knew that it was, in fact, The Leaky Cauldron pub - behind which stood the entrance to Diagon and Knockturn Alley.

They moved aside, away from the pavement, and slipped through the heavy door as quickly as they could. They found themselves in a large, warm room full of witches and wizards enjoying drinks with family and friends, laughing as they shared stories and listened to the accordion player who was stationed in front of the glowing fireplace. Tom, the innkeeper and owner of the pub, had just finished replacing a barrel of Butterbeer.

"Can I get you two something to drink?" he smiled.

"Ah… two pumpkin juices, please," Draco said quietly, fishing a Galleon out of his pocket.

They took their drinks and found a rickety little table underneath the staircase that led up to the lodgers' bedrooms. They had chosen this table because it was right next to the back door which led into the small courtyard, and subsequently, the entrance to where they were headed. It would have looked suspicious if they had asked to go straight through to the passage, as the businesses in Diagon Alley had closed for the day. Everyone would know that they were therefore up to something in Knockturn Alley. Savannah's hand shook slightly as she picked up her glass of pumpkin juice. Unlike Draco, she had never been to Knockturn Alley before and was nervous about what they would encounter whilst trying to find Burris. Draco took her other hand in both of his.

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you," he said firmly, looking lovingly into Savannah's eyes.

She mustered a smile and nodded, taking a swig of pumpkin juice. The truth was, as much as Draco wanted to protect her, she knew he was no match for the kind of people who lurked in Knockturn Alley. Snatchers. Werewolves. Dark wizards who had much more skill and experience than a pair of teenagers.

"Draco, what are… what are we going to do after this? Where do we go next?"

"We'll think of something, sweetheart."

"And this guy… Burris… Snape said that he'd remove traces of DNA from our bodies – fingerprints and the like. How will he do that? What if he messes it up and we're left…"

Draco leaned forward and placed his bitten lips onto Savannah's soft ones. They kissed tenderly and Draco noticed that her shoulders dropped and she began to relax. The way he was able comfort his fiancée so easily brought him a sense of… pride. He felt needed. Like he mattered to somebody. Like somebody would care if he left this world.

"I'm not going to make you do anything you don't want to do," he reassured her, stroking her hand with his thumb. "I promise you, darling – everything's going to be okay."

They finished their drinks quickly, not letting go of each other's hand the entire time.

"Alright. Let's go," said Draco quietly, looking around at the other witches and wizards who seemed far too engrossed in their own conversations to notice the two of them sneaking out into the courtyard.

They could no longer hear the loud traffic from Charing Cross Road behind them. It seemed they were, truly, now in a different world. A grey dustbin stood before them. Draco pulled out his wand and tapped the brick that was three up and two across from the rusty lid.

It appeared the cement holding the bricks together had vanished, allowing the bricks to move and twist and stretch. Before long, a large archway had formed where the solid wall used to be, granting them access to a dark and run-down Diagon Alley. Savannah had never seen street at night time. It looked so different now that Lord Voldemort had gained his full strength back and the Death Eaters were taking over the Ministry of Magic.

Businesses aligned each side of the cobbled pathway, but many of their windows had now been smashed or were boarded up. Signs above shop entrances had been pulled down, and, to Savannah's horror, small fires even littered the cobbles, fuelled by the debris of explosions and raids. The old lampposts had been shattered, and the sky was cloudy, making the deserted place seem even scarier.

" _Lumos_ ," said Draco. The tip of his wand ignited with a ball of glowing silver light.

Savannah took her wand out and lit it, as well. Draco put his arm around Savannah's shoulder and cautiously stepped through the archway and into the Alley. They both had an uncomfortable feeling that they were being watched.

It wasn't long before they reached Eeylops Owl Emporium on the right side of the cobbles. It was empty now, of course. The beautiful birds who were once on display had either been released by the owner, or killed by the Death Eaters. The next business along was an old junk shop which was in the same desolate state as the others. Between the two businesses, stood an extremely narrow passageway.

Draco and Savannah turned into the passageway and were greeted with a sign mounted on the side of the emporium. It read _Knockturn Alley_ and had a picture of a hand pointing down the dark pathway. It was too narrow for the two of them to walk through side-by-side, so Draco was forced to guard Savannah's back as she hesitantly lead the way.


	7. Otto Burris

They followed the winding trail to Knockturn Alley – the sister of Diagon Alley, except while Diagon Alley was bright and happy and safe (or at least, used to be), Knockturn Alley was dull, dank and dangerous.

Savannah reached the opening to Knockturn Alley first. When she emerged from the tunnel, she was pinned up against the brick wall by a staggering wizard who had been hiding around the corner. Savannah screamed, her wand knocked out of her hand and the _Lumos_ charm extinguished. The man was hunched over, dressed in torn and tatty clothes. He was almost bald but had a few patches of greasy brown hair. Many of his teeth were missing and the ones that remained were crooked and discoloured. An empty bottle of gin was protruding from his jacket pocket, and his foul odour made Savannah squirm.

"Any Sickles to spare, darlin'?" he croaked, holding out one hand which was smeared in soot and ash.

"GET OFF HER, YOU PIECE OF SCUM!" Draco yelled, firmly pushing the drunken wizard to the ground.

He brushed the dirt off Savannah's clothes which had been transferred during the ordeal, retrieved her wand from the ground and tucked her closely into his chest.

"You okay?" he whispered in his fiancée's ear.

Savannah nodded and pulled away from Draco's hold, although he was reluctant to let her go, and reignited her wand. The old man was still on the ground, looking up at Draco with a confused expression on his mottled face, as though he couldn't quite remember why he was there.

"You're lucky I didn't slit your throat," Draco hissed through clenched teeth, his angry grey eyes wide and alert.

The wizard stood up rather clumsily, huffed, and then wobbled away in the opposite direction.

"Come on," said Draco, putting his arm around Savannah again. "The locksmiths' up this way."

They couldn't see anyone else in the alley, although that didn't mean there weren't more people hiding behind corners waiting to jump out and attack them.

The two teenagers held onto each other and slowly made their way passed the closed shops. Many of them had displays of wicked-looking tools and instruments in the windows, no doubt used for torturing innocents.

 _Mr Mulpepper's Apothecary_ … _The Coffin House_ … _Borgin and Burkes_ …

Draco froze and locked his gaze on the antique shop where he was due to become a Death Eater in just three days' time. He pictured his mother and father and their faces when they would need to tell the Dark Lord that Draco was not with them; that he had run away to marry his love and start a new life away from the War. What would he do? Curse them? _Kill_ them?

"Draco," Savannah said quietly, as though she had entered his mind and read all his thoughts.

Draco turned to look at her.

"We don't have to, you know. There's still time… to go back."

Draco shook his head furiously.

"No!" he cried. "This is what I want. Unless… unless you w-want to go back?"

His voice became meeker with every word. Savannah held her future husband's face in her delicate hands.

"I just don't want you to have any regrets, Draco," she whispered. "I want to be with you but what I want more is for you to be safe."

"We _will_ be safe," Draco nodded. "Together. We'll look after each other."

They shared a little smile and a soft kiss before continuing down the alley.

 _Potage's Cauldron Shop_ … _Shyverwretch's Venoms and Poisons_ … _McHaveloch's Wizarding Headgear_ … and then, on their right-hand side – _Trackleshanks Locksmith_ , where Snape had instructed Otto Burris to meet them.

Draco and Savannah held their breath as they edged closer to the meeting place, gripping onto each other as though at any moment one of them would vanish into thin air. They ducked under a rusty hanging sign with a picture of a faded silver key on it, and slipped through the narrow gap between the locksmith and _Ye Olde Curiosity Shop_.

Waiting for them behind the tall, dark building, was a short, middle-aged wizard with a shaven head and several piercings in one ear. He wore black robes, gloves and boots, and was resting one foot on the wall casually. He smirked. Savannah got the feeling that even though the man was small, he was a ringleader and could be very intimidating when he wanted to be.

"Malfoy. Falconer," he stated rather than asked.

Draco nodded.

"Snape told me all about you. So, you on the run, eh?"

"Can you help us or not?" Draco mumbled, trying to avoid eye contact with Burris.

"Rude," he chuckled. "Well, that depends on what you're offering."

Draco pulled his wallet out of his inside coat pocket. Burris raised his hand.

"Ah, ah… I don't want money. I have plenty of that."

"What _do_ you want?" asked Draco sharply.

Burris paused. His eyes wandered down to Savannah's left hand. More specifically, the engagement ring on her finger. He suddenly grabbed her wrist and Savannah yelped as he examined the ring close-up. Draco furiously lunged forward but was pushed back by Burris.

"You want my help, you do as I say," he snarled.

The ring Draco had put on Savannah's finger when he asked her to be his wife was the most beautiful piece of jewellery she had ever seen. It was simple, yet elegant – silver, with a small pink pearl on top bordered by two silver vines with incredibly detailed tiny leaves. It was her most valuable possession.

"You can't have that," Draco said immediately.

"Draco…" whispered Savannah. "It's just a ring."

"No! It's _your_ ring!" he exclaimed. "And I won't let him take it in exchange for some fake ID papers."

"Shame…" sang Burris, releasing Savannah's hand. "If you don't want to give up the ring, I could always invite your missus upstairs. She can pay me in… an alternative way," he grinned maliciously.

Savannah could feel Draco shaking with anger beside her.

"You can have the ring," she said firmly. "Just… tell us what you're going to do first. How do you remove our fingerprints?"

"Come upstairs and I'll show you."

Draco and Savannah looked at each other while Burris opened the back door to the locksmiths.

"I haven't got all night, children."

Draco breathed heavily.

"You touch her, and I swear…"

"Yeah, yeah, you'll throw a Jelly Legs Jinx at me and make boils erupt on my face," Burris drawled sarcastically.

Draco and Savannah cautiously followed him through the door and up a wonky wooden staircase, their illuminated wand tips as the only source of light.

"Old Trackleshanks' a good mate of mine," said Burris as they climbed to the top floor. "Got me out of a fair bit of trouble in my younger days. Took me under his wing. Let me bunk in the spare room."

"So, you work here?" asked Savannah.

"Oh, no," Burris laughed. "No, I earn my living in a more… discreet way. Trackleshanks don't mind, he don't ask questions, you see. S'long as I don't get busted by the Aurors, he turns a blind eye. He's a good man."

They reached a dark hallway and Burris opened a low wooden door with a creak. Even Burris, as short as he was, had to duck to enter the room.

Draco and Savannah followed and found themselves in a dingy room, with a battered single bed covered in old blankets. Flames were crackling in the fireplace, atop which a horseshoe was being supported by a metal rod. It had obviously been there for a very long time as it was now glowing orange and burning hot. Savannah's eyes widened in fear and she leaned into Draco for comfort. Draco did not look much braver himself.

"Now – papers…" Burris opened a rickety drawer and extracted a bundle of parchment sheets of various sizes, secured together with a piece of string tied in a bow.

"Two professionally forged wizarding passports, one for a Mr Jacob Alstred, one for a Miss Piper Healy, and another one for when Miss Piper Healy becomes Mrs Piper Alstred. Will allow you to cross the border of any country you please.

"Birth certificates… Mr Alstred was born at twelve minutes past three on the morning of the seventeenth of July 1980, in Wiltshire, England. Son of Stella and Darius Alstred. The soon to be Mrs Alstred was born at quarter past six on the evening of the third of December 1980 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Daughter of Winifred and Maximus Healy. Can be used as proof of identification in any circumstance."

Bewildered silence followed.

"Impressive," said Draco.

Burris smiled cheekily and bowed his head.

"Hand them over."

"Not until I receive my payment!" Burris thundered, his smile wiped from his face.

"Here."

Savannah slid her engagement ring off her slim finger.

"Darling, please…" Draco protested quietly.

"We don't have a choice, Draco," she reasoned, holding the ring out for Burris.

"Wait," Draco interjected, lunging forward and snatching the ring out of Savannah's hand before Burris could get to it. "Tell us how you're going to get rid of our fingerprints. Then I'll give you the ring."

Burris rolled his eyes and walked over to the fire. He reached for a pair of metal tongs and used them to lift the bright orange horseshoe away from the spitting flames.

"It won't hurt much," he smirked. "Only for a second. Or thirty."

"You're going to _burn_ them off?!" cried Savannah in horror.

"No way," Draco shook his head, moving Savannah behind him. "We're not doing that."

"Then I suggest you vacate the premises." Burris said sternly.

Draco raised his wand quickly.

"STUPEFY!" he shouted.

"Draco!" Savannah gasped, bringing her hands up to her mouth.

Burris was tossed backwards and hit the opposite wall with a loud THUD. He slid down to the floorboards, unconscious, the fake documents falling from his grip. Draco ran over, picked them up, and quickly ushered Savannah out of the room and back down the wonky staircase.


	8. Home Truths

"MALFOY!"

They had managed to escape from the locksmiths before Burris regained consciousness in the bedroom upstairs, but only just.

"Come on!" urged Draco, taking Savannah's hand and running back down Knockturn Alley.

Their feet smacked against the uneven cobbles as they hurried, but they had only just passed _Markus Scarr's Indelible Tattoos_ when they heard the back door of the locksmiths slam close, and the sound of a third pair of feet running over the cobbles. They did not have time to return to Diagon Alley unscathed.

"We have to Apparate," Savannah said, trying to avoid the temptation of looking over her shoulder to see how far away Burris was.

"Where will we go?" Draco replied in a panicked voice.

"Trust me."

"I trust you."

There was a loud _pop_ as the pair vanished from Knockturn Alley, and once again started tumbling through the mysterious void of shapes and colours and noises, nausea and dizziness overcoming them. They landed on a soft surface, their feet sliding through whatever was underneath them. The salty air hit Draco before the sound of the gentle waves did, and he realised they were standing on a dark, deserted beach.

"What is this place?" he tried to get his breath back as he looked out at the black sea. The moon was hidden here, so he could not tell where the water ended and the sky began.

"Remember I told you I visited my aunt and uncle every Easter in the Highlands?"

"That's where we are?"

"Yes. That's Nairn," said Savannah, pointing her head towards the buildings which stood behind the beach. "It's the closest town to their cottage. They live about five miles south of here, in the woods."

"Is that where we're going?"

"No," she said, putting her hands on her hips to allow more air to enter her lungs. "No, it's too dark. The country roads don't have any lights; we could make a wrong turn. We'll find somewhere to sleep in Nairn tonight, and then we'll figure out what to do in the morning."

"Okay," Draco nodded, shivering from the nippy sea breeze. "Let's go, love."

They huddled together and made their way across the sand and through the children's play park which separated the town from the beach. They made their way up a winding slope with small businesses and dainty houses on either side. It was eerily quiet, the only noise coming from the rolling waves behind them.

"This place is lovely during the day," Savannah told Draco. "Kids play mini-golf down there, and the dogs run after sticks their owners through in the sea."

"What's mini-golf?" Draco smiled as they continued to search for a place to rest their heads.

"Maybe I'll show you tomorrow," Savannah grinned, letting go of Draco's hand and sliding her arm around her fiance's waist.

"Well, I'd love that."

Draco put his arm around Savannah's shoulder and kissed her head as she giggled, which made him feel warm inside despite the cold air stinging his face.

OoOoOoO

It was late. Lucius had retired to bed in a foul mood, leaving an embarrassed Narcissa and a now mostly-recovered Bellatrix downstairs. Hardly any words had been exchanged between the three of them since Lucius had attacked his sister-in-law to prevent her from informing the Dark Lord about Draco's disappearance.

"Shall I get one of the house elves to bring you something to drink?" Narcissa offered now that she was alone with her sister.

"I don't want _tea_ , Cissy," Bellatrix replied, staring at the dancing flames in the fireplace. Her voice lacked its usual hysterical tone, and was now rather dull and flat. "I want your lunatic husband to get what's coming to him."

The shape of her mouth slowly curled into a smirk.

Narcissa made to say something, but thought better of it. She reworded her statement in her head before speaking aloud.

"He… he was trying to protect his son. Our son."

Narcissa was expecting a sharp and calculating response, but instead received nothing. She sat down in an armchair, looked down and began wringing her hands, the same way Draco did when he was nervous.

"He just needs more time," she said quietly. She was hesitant to carry on in case Bellatrix retaliated aggressively.

"He… he'll see sense. I'm sure of it. By Sunday night, he'll be back here with the girl, and on Monday he'll… he'll go and…"

"You think he's going to come running back to Mummy so easily?" Bellatrix sneered. "Wake up, Cissy. He doesn't need you."

"I'm his mother."

"He's a _man_ , for goodness' sake. That's your problem, Cissy. You've always held onto him so tightly. Always treated him as though he was younger than his years."

"I…"

"And I know why," Bellatrix raised her eyebrows. Narcissa swallowed and felt a lump in her throat.

"Why?" she breathed eventually.

Bellatrix leaned forward towards her sister and sneered into the blue eyes which matched her own.

"Because you couldn't protect him as a child. Then you realised what you'd done – or rather, what you _hadn't_ done – and you felt _ever_ so guilty…"

"What are you talking about?" Narcissa tried to appear as though she had more courage than she did by raising her head confidently, determined to prove her sister wrong.

"That's why you're so keen for him to come home to you," Bellatrix continued, her teasing tone returning to her voice. "You've finally figured out that no amount of racing brooms and Quidditch tickets and packages from Sugarplum's Sweet Shop could buy Draco his childhood back."

"Stop it," Narcissa growled through pursed lips.

Bellatrix tilted her head, amused, and let out a cackle.

"You _failed_ him, Cissy," she smiled falsely. "That's why he's run away."

Bellatrix stood up and slowly approached Narcissa. She curled around behind her sister and placed her hands delicately on her shoulders. Narcissa froze.

"Perhaps Draco would have been more than happy to follow in his father's footsteps…" her voice dropped to a whisper. "If Mummy had stopped Daddy from violating him."


	9. A Choice

"How _dare_ you?" Narcissa replied eventually, focusing her gaze on the vase of flowers in the far corner of the room to avoid looking at her sister.

Bellatrix lazily moved back to her spot on the couch, landing ungracefully and mounting her feet on the coffee table in front of her as she knew this would annoy Narcissa even further.

"Don't deny it, Cissy," she sang, leaning forward and selecting a chocolate from the open box on the table.

She took a bite and continued with her mouth full of praline.

"Haven't you wondered why, in his sixteen years, ' _My father will hear about this_ ,' is the worst threat Draco could ever muster?"

Narcissa glared as Bellatrix licked some melted chocolate from her fingers.

"He's a clever boy. With a sharp tongue, as well. He's had no qualms with calling the Granger girl 'Mudblood', or the Weasels 'blood traitors'. And yet, when he was attacked or outraged, he could only threaten his enemies that he would tell Daddy. Seems pretty pathetic if you ask me."

She helped herself to another chocolate.

"But _maybe_ telling Daddy was the scariest punishment Draco could imagine, seeing as Daddy is the one he fears most in the world."

Narcissa rose swiftly from her chair.

"Get out," she said firmly, trembling with rage.

Bellatrix continued eating her chocolate.

"And Mummy couldn't save poor little Draco, because Mummy feared Daddy as well. But Mummy wasn't even brave enough to ask Daddy to stop hurting poor little Draco, so she just let him carry on. Mummy sat downstairs pretending not to hear the screams while Daddy spent some quality time with his darling Draco."

"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE, NOW!" Narcissa bellowed, tears spilling from her eyes.

Bellatrix smiled wickedly.

"You have no idea, YOU HAVE NO IDEA!"

Narcissa had kicked Bellatrix's feet off the table and was now leaning over her, yet her sister did not seem phased.

"I _know_ what I did was wrong, and I HATE MYSELF for it!" Narcissa cried, rattling Bellatrix's shoulders back and forth. "And I _wish_ I could go back but I _can't_."

Bellatrix grunted and pushed her sister's weight off her.

"You should have wrestled that waste of flesh to the ground, cursed him until your wand could take no more and then left him for dead. Even _I_ know that, Cissy, and we both know I'm far too selfish to care for a child."

Bellatrix stood up so that her face was only inches away from Narcissa's. She spoke quietly and menacingly.

"Draco hates you _both_. He didn't leave because the Dark Lord told him to kill Dumbledore. That was just the juiciest cherry on top of a very rich cake. And now he has the half-blood who clearly adores him…" – Bellatrix screwed her face up in disgust – "he has no reason to stay. He's fled with her, because she's the only person who's ever shown him love."

Before Narcissa could respond, Bellatrix gave one last cackle followed by a loud _pop_ as she Apparated out of the manor grounds. Narcissa opened her mouth to speak, but remembered there was no one there to hear her. She collapsed onto all fours in front of the fire, the orange flames reflecting in her glassy eyes as she howled.

OoOoOoO

After walking through Nairn for a short while in the dark looking for somewhere to stay, Draco and Savannah found an old-fashioned bed and breakfast hotel owned by a kind elderly woman. She was just about to lock up for the night when Draco and Savannah had come running up the hill and asked if she had any vacancies. Luckily, she did, and invited the pair inside.

She poured them each a cup of hot chocolate in the sitting area before showing them to their room. It was a cosy place, with cream-coloured walls, pale blue curtains and a double bed with a blue floral pattern on the linen. Two yellow lamps produced a soft glow and cast a warm and welcoming atmosphere around the room.

"The bathroom's down the hall, second door on the right. Breakfast is served between seven and nine tomorrow morning," she said with a smile.

Draco and Savannah thanked the lady and got ready for bed. They tucked into the bread and fruit that Lisky had packed for them before climbing into the floral sheets. Although they were convinced they'd be safe here, they kept their wands close in case there was a sudden need to escape. They turned out the lights and snuggled in close together.

"I can't believe it's been a whole twenty four hours since we decided to leave," Savannah murmured, resting her head on Draco's shoulder.

"It's been a long day," Draco tried to sound amused but Savannah could see through him.

"Can you believe it was only yesterday we were strolling around the garden? Arm-in-arm, talking about our future together."

Draco turned his head quickly.

"We do have a future together, love."

"Yeah, but…"

Draco's chest filled with dread. He couldn't lose Savannah. Not after everything that had happened. He needed her.

"But what?" he said quietly.

"It won't be the same," Savannah replied in a small voice.

She sniffed and Draco pulled her in even closer as she began to cry.

"Hey," he whispered, stroking his fiancée's hair. Draco knew Savannah always felt calmer when he did this. "Talk to me, darling."

"I know I have no right to be scared – I've never even set eyes on the Dark Lord. I'm sorry, you'll be worrying about enough things already without trying to make me feel better."

"No!" Draco exclaimed as Savannah dried her eyes with her sleeve. "I'm going to be your husband – it's my job to make you feel better. And just because I'm the one who's been given instructions by the Dark Lord, that doesn't eliminate your right to feel scared."

"I just can't see how this is going to work out."

There was a nervous pause.

"You – you want to go home?"

"I _do_ want to go home – but with you."

"Savannah, darling, the first place they'll look when they realise we're missing is your parents' house…"

"I _know_ ," she insisted. "I know."

Just as she had stopped crying, she burst into tears again.

"What are we going to do, Draco? Nowhere is safe! They're going to hurt your family, and mine, and anyone else who tries to help. And they won't stop looking until they find us!"

"Ssh, ssh…" Draco hushed his fiancée, rocking her slightly to calm her.

"There's no way we can outrun him. He _will_ find us, and he'll kill us, Draco!"

"Listen," Draco said firmly, holding Savannah's face gently and looking in her soft brown eyes with his sharp grey ones. "I'm not going let _anything_ bad happen to you. If we get caught, I will lay down my life to protect you. I don't know much right now, but I do know that I cannot live without you, Savannah. I'd really like it if you would stay, but if you want to go home, know that I would never try to stop you. I love you too much to do that."

Suddenly, the large window crashed open, sending shards of glass everywhere. Savannah screamed and Draco hurried to shield her. A gust of wind and a blinding silver light entered the room through the open window, causing Draco to cover his eyes as he held his shaking love protectively with his other arm. The silver light rushed around them before settling in one place. It slowly began to reduce and transform into a defined shape. Savannah turned her head and watched as a corporeal Patronus appeared in the form of a magnificent peacock.

" _He does not know. It is not too late._ "

The voice of Draco's mother emitted from the glowing, silver peacock. Narcissa had sent a message for them.

Draco did not relax his hold of Savannah, and his breathing quickened as he listened to his mother's words.

" _I am sorry for everything. And I mean, for everything._ "

Draco's lips trembled and his eyes filled with salty tears. Savannah looked up at her husband to be, thinking that Narcissa could not simply be referring to the task presented to Draco by the Dark Lord.

" _Come home. No questions will be asked. No punishment will be given. We need never speak of this again_."

Draco and Savannah shared a look that contained a mixture of hope, fear and curiosity.

" _I can keep you safe. I can keep you safe now. I have learned from the past,_ " the silver peacock continued. " _Please come home. I love you_."

Draco wailed and broke down crying as the Patronus disappeared and the room became dark once more. Savannah knew that he needed her to be strong for him now. She wrapped her arms around Draco's neck and ran her fingers through his blond hair as he wept loudly on her shoulder.


	10. Draco's Hidden Talent

Savannah held Draco until he was drained of tears. He was embarrassed; he had never shown such vulnerability to his fiancée. But the more he resisted, the louder he cried.

"Draco… Draco, what's wrong?" whispered Savannah, holding his face and kissing his cheek softly.

He closed his eyes tightly and shook his head as though he were trying to un-see something. He couldn't tell Savannah. Not now. He'd tell her, later, although how later, he did not know.

"It's nothing, darling," he replied gently. "Nothing you need to worry about, anyway."

He lovingly moved one of Savannah's dark waves out of her face and tried to give her a reassuring smile.

"Draco, you said it was your job to make me feel better. It's my job to make you feel better, as well."

"I know, darling," he pulled Savannah in closer to him and planted a delicate kiss on her forehead. "Now's just not the right time."

Savannah nodded, understanding that Draco was not ready to discuss what his mother had been talking about. She reached for her wand and pointed it at the smashed window.

" _Repairo_."

The shards of glass littered across the floor quickly rose back into place and sealed themselves together, creating a solid window once more.

" _Silencio_ ," she muttered as she pointed her wand towards the bedroom door.

They got back under the bedsheets and turned the little lamps on so they could see each other clearly while they talked about their plan.

"Do you think it's a good idea?" asked Draco. "To go back?"

Savannah propped her elbow up on the pillow and rested the side of her head in her hand.

"I think, if we _are_ going to go back, now is the time to do it. Your mother said that You-Know-Who doesn't know we've gone. If we go back now, he'd never even find out that we'd tried to escape."

"But what if he _does_ know, and he's forced my mother into telling us that he doesn't, to trick us into believing everything's okay? What if we go back and he's there waiting for us? He'll blow us up the minute we walk through the door."

Savannah bit her lip and paused to think.

"So, we don't go through the door…" she said slowly.

"What?"

"We find a wizard's fireplace, and then we use the Floo network to transport us to one of the disused rooms in the manor. Then we call Lisky to search the house for Death Eaters. If the coast is clear, we can come out."

"And if not?"

"We jump straight back into the fireplace and scarper."

Draco nodded, seeing the plan come together in his mind.

"But… I'm still supposed to take the Dark Mark on Monday," he pointed out quietly, even though they were at no risk of being overheard due to the silencing charm that had been cast on the door.

"I know," Savannah looked down, disappointed.

Draco sighed and closed his eyes.

"We'll figure something out, sweetheart," Savannah told him as she began stroking his blond hair again.

Draco smiled in appreciation.

"We'll go," he nodded bravely. "We'll leave tomorrow. After you show me how to play mini golf."

The pair laughed and shared a kiss before settling down to sleep.

OoOoOoO

It turned out Draco was rather talented at mini golf. It took him a while to get used to swinging the club, but he beat Savannah at almost every obstacle – he hit the ball through the little hole in the windmill in just two shots while Savannah trailed behind with five.

"Well done," she smirked, impressed with her fiance's efforts.

Draco gave a small bow which made Savannah giggle.

"Come on, you, I'll buy you an ice cream as an award."

She took his hand and they walked over to the ice cream stand, admiring the view of the sea in the daylight. The sand was a beautiful golden colour, the waves bright blue. Nairn was awake now. The small souvenir shops that sold trinkets were open, and families were exploring the town and enjoying the summer sunshine.

They sat down on a picnic bench overlooking the children's play park they had walked through the night before and a refreshing breeze washed over them. Draco's prize was two large scoops of mint chocolate chip ice cream. Savannah began slurping her consolation prize of a vanilla cornetto.

"This is nice," Draco smiled.

"Mm," Savannah nodded. "That little stand's always sold good ice cream."

Draco laughed.

"I'm not talking about the ice cream."

Savannah reached over the bench and interlaced her fingers with Draco's.

"I wish I could freeze time," he said as he looked over at the hypnotising waves. "Somehow, I feel like this will be our last day of… well, of being normal."

"Whatever happens – we'll have each other. Whatever we need to do – we'll do it together," Savannah nodded.

"I'm scared, Sav."

"I know, darling."


	11. Back to The Manor

"Ready?"

"Ready."

Draco and Savannah had climbed down to the harbour at the end of the beach. Fishing boats of all sizes were tied up beside the pier, which was currently empty. No one was in sight – there wasn't anything of much interest at this side of the town.

They tried not to look suspicious as they crept behind the coast guard's office. They were hidden from view here, so they held onto each other by the arm and were subjected to the familiar unpleasant sensation that came with Apparating. Savannah was sure that no matter how many times she practised, she would never get used to the feeling of her insides being turned upside down.

They landed with a _pop_ outside Ollivander's Wand Shop in Diagon Alley. Savannah looked up at the sorry state of the building and felt a pang of nostalgia. She and every witch and wizard she knew had purchased their first wands from Ollivander's. He was the finest wandmaker in the land – some would even say in the world – but now his shop was crumbling and vandalised. A large wooden board blocked the entrance, and the shelves had been cleared of all the stock. _Stolen, probably_ , Savannah reminded herself. Mr Ollivander himself was nowhere to be found.

Business was slow in Diagon Alley today. The place wasn't as vibrant or as colourful as it once was. It seemed that people were still too scared to venture out in public following the news of Voldemort's return. Draco and Savannah only saw a handful of people huddled in a group as they walked up the cobbled street towards the Leaky Cauldron.

They approached the junk shop on their left and Savannah dared to have a quick peek down the passageway that led to Knockturn Alley. She was worried that Otto Burris would still be lingering, waiting to catch her and Draco off-guard so he could get his revenge. Thankfully, the only being in the passageway was an untidy stray cat.

They arrived at the archway at the top of the street and subsequently the back door to the Leaky Cauldron. Draco opened the door cautiously and allowed Savannah to enter first.

The place was much quieter than it had been the night they secretly slipped out to Knockturn Alley. There were more empty tables than there were full, and Tom the innkeeper looked rather bored behind the bar as she polished some glasses.

"Alright, you two?" he nodded and smiled when he saw the pair enter the pub. "Fancy a drink?"

Savannah looked at Draco. She felt guilty for simply using Tom's pub as a portal and giving him nothing for it. The Leaky Cauldron was the hub of Diagon Alley – it would be a disaster if it were to go out of business.

"Uh… two Butterbeers, please, Tom," she replied.

She and Draco sat on the high stools in front of the bar. Tom poured their drinks and Draco thanked him as he passed over the payment.

"Tom, would it be okay if, eh…" Draco looked around to ensure no one was eavesdropping. He need not have worried. "If we used your Floo network? We need to be somewhere in a hurry."

"Of course," said Tom. "I'll take you upstairs and you can use the fireplace in my office."

They finished their drinks and then followed Tom up the rickety wooden staircase. He unlocked the door to a small room and ushered them inside.

"Floo powder's in the holder there on top of the mantelpiece," he told them.

Draco and Savannah thanked Tom as he headed back down to the bar. Draco took a handful of green Floo powder from the metal bucket, stepped into the unlit fireplace and balanced himself on the paper, logs and coal. Savannah nodded.

"Malfoy Manor, East Wing," Draco spoke clearly.

He dropped the powder onto the ground and green flames erupted and engulfed him. Savannah was still a little intimidated by travelling via the Floo network, although she much preferred it over Apparating. She, too, grabbed a handful of green powder and stepped into the fireplace. She repeated Draco's words, let the powder fall, and was lifted away by dancing green flames that were surprisingly rather cooling against her skin.

Before long, she tumbled onto a hard, wooden floor. She looked up and saw that she was in one of the smaller rooms at the back of the manor which was now used as storage. Old furniture and ornaments had been assembled neatly. A dusty piano which used to take pride of place downstairs had been replaced by a newer, shinier model. Draco stood with his ear pressed against the door, listening for any sign that there may be intruders in the manor.

"Anything?" Savannah whispered.

Draco shook his head.

"I don't think so. Lisky, we need you."

SNAP.

Lisky the house-elf appeared out of nowhere, still wearing her pink tea towel, and clutched her little bald head as she stumbled from dizziness. Her bright eyes widened when she saw who had called her.

"Master Malfoy! Mistress Falconer!" Lisky gasped, bringing her wrinkly hands up to her mouth. "You've come back!"

Draco knelt so he could look clearly at the elf.

"Lisky, is there anyone downstairs? Anyone who doesn't live here?" he asked in a low voice.

Lisky took a small step backwards.

"Your family are very angry, Master Malfoy. Your aunt is most displeased. But she's gone now. Only your mother and father currently reside in the manor."

"Do you know if they have any plans to hold a meeting or a gathering tonight?"

"Madam Malfoy has not ordered Lisky to make a special meal so Lisky can only assume that no one will be visiting tonight."

"Okay," Draco nodded. "Lisky, bring my mother to us. Do not let my father see you."

"Oh, yes, Master Malfoy!"

Lisky quickly turned the door handle and sprinted down the hallway. Draco closed the door behind her and took a deep breath as he looked at Savannah.

"It's okay," she said reassuringly, wrapping her arms around her fiancé.

Draco hugged her tightly and let her familiar touch and scent comfort him.

"Please stay. Stay with me," he whispered with his eyes closed.

"Of course I'll stay with you, Draco."

She placed a gentle kiss on his trembling lips and held both of his hands in hers. The door handle turned again and Draco whipped around to see Lisky enter followed by Narcissa.

"Draco," Narcissa breathed, smiling nervously and trying to decide whether or not to hug her son.

Draco stood still as Lisky exited the room. He looked at his mother unsurely, not knowing what to think or how he should feel. Savannah rubbed Draco's arm encouragingly.

"Hello," he said, as though he and his mother were strangers meeting for the first time.

"Draco, my darling…"

She walked forwards with her arms outstretched but Draco declined her offer of physical affection by standing slightly behind Savannah. Narcissa swallowed and lowered her arms but nodded, understanding her son's position.

"I'm so very glad you've come back," she said carefully.

"I didn't do it for you."

"No, of course…"

Narcissa's eyes wandered around the room uncomfortably.

"How are you, Savannah, dear?"

"I'm fine," Savannah smiled slightly. "Thank you, Mrs Malfoy."

Narcissa nodded awkwardly.

"Would you like to come downstairs for something to eat?"

"Is Father here?"

"Yes, he's…"

"Then no."

Narcissa looked as though she may start crying.

"Draco, I… I know how angry you must be. You have every right to hate us both."

"You don't know anything," Draco spat. "Don't pretend that you care now."

"I _do_ care, darling, I really do. I… I always have," she whispered.

Savannah looked up at Draco, confused by the conversation he was exchanging with his mother. Draco put his arm around her shoulder and kissed her head as a way of telling her that she was not to worry.

"I don't want Father to know that we've returned. Not yet," he said, avoiding eye contact with his mother.

"Okay," Narcissa nodded. "Let me… let me take you to your room and I'll have Lisky bring you up some lunch."

The pair followed Narcissa through several hallways and down a staircase and round several corners until they reached Draco's bedroom door. He opened it to find that the room looked exactly as it had done when they left.

Draco entered the room and Savannah made to follow him, but Narcissa held her back and closed the door so she could speak privately to her in the corridor.

"What happened, dear?" she whispered.

"He's terrified, Mrs Malfoy. I… I know what the Dark Lord wants him to do."

Narcissa straightened her back.

"Do you know… about Lucius?"

"Mr Malfoy?"

Draco wrenched the door open so ferociously that Narcissa gasped and stumbled backwards. Draco glared at her, which made Savannah apprehensive.

"Draco?" she said quietly.

He took her arm and pulled her inside the room, before shutting the door in his mother's face.


	12. Tricked

"Draco, what's…"

Draco pulled Savannah towards the four-poster bed they shared before they ran away and plonked her down on the mattress. Then he started dragging his large chest of drawers across the room and pushed it up against the door.

"Draco?!"

"Ssh, I need to think."

"Think about what? Draco, if you didn't want to come back, you should have said so!"

Draco ignored Savannah and instead positioned himself in front of the door and tried to identify any noise from the hallway. He heard his mother's boots tap against the wooden floor as she descended the staircase to the ground floor of the manor.

"She's gone," he whispered.

He then darted over to the opposite side of the room and looked outside the window at the beautiful grounds around them, his hands pressing on the wall either side of the glass.

"Draco… stop. You're scaring me."

"Don't be scared, angel," he smiled falsely and rushed over to Savannah.

He wrapped his arms around her and rocked her back and forth.

"Everything's going to be okay. I won't let anyone hurt you. Don't you worry."

Savannah struggled free and gently pushed Draco away.

"I'm worried about someone hurting _you_ , Draco."

Draco looked confused and upset.

"What on Earth is wrong?" Savannah hissed impatiently.

There was a loud knock on the door which made them both jump.

"Hide," Draco ordered. "Under the bed, now."

Savannah did as she was told while Draco slowly approached the door. There was another knock. He moved the chest of drawers to the side a little so he could peek through the small keyhole. Lisky's bulbous eyes were looking back at him.

Draco pushed the chest so that it was no longer blocking the door, and turned the handle to allow the house elf to enter.

"Master Malfoy! Mistress Falconer!" she wheezed.

"What's wrong, Lisky?" asked Savannah, climbing out from underneath the bed as Draco re-positioned the chest.

"When you asked Lisky earlier if there were any visitors in the house, I said no because at the time there were none."

She looked around nervously and lowered her voice.

"But there are people coming now. Strange, scary people."

Savannah could feel her heartbeat quickening. Draco's eyes widened with fear.

"She tricked us…" he breathed, pulling his coat off and loosening his shirt.

He began pacing the room apprehensively, hands clasped and bouncing off his lips, desperately trying to figure out what to do.

"What do you mean?" Savannah whispered.

Lisky leaned in closer to her.

"They are gathering in the drawing room," Lisky explained.

She kept looking at the door behind her, worried someone else was going to burst in any second.

"They have been Apparating, and using the Floo network connected to the West Wing," she continued.

"Who?" asked Savannah.

"The followers of…" Lisky took one last look behind her. "You-Know-Who."

Draco let out a frustrated groan and covered his eyes as he continued pacing.

"She tricked us," he cried, as tears flowed down his blotchy face. "She said there'd be no punishment… but she told them… she told him."

Draco had fallen to his knees, wailing louder, his body shaking furiously as a huge sense of panic overcame him.

Savannah jumped off the bed and onto the carpet beside Draco. She took his head in one of her hands and guided him into the crook of her neck. Draco gave all his weight to his fiancée but she was strong enough to take it from him. He reached out one of his arms and held onto her waist while Savannah cradled him as she whispered soothing words into his ear.

"You have to help us, Lisky," said Savannah.

"Lisky will do her best to help Master Malfoy and Mistress Falconer, but I'm afraid Lisky will not be able to do much more – the Dark Lord's followers are assembling… they want to hurt Master Malfoy and Mistress Falconer!"

Draco took a staggered breath and dug his nails deeper into Savannah's skin. He would not be separated from her. She was the only person who had ever shown him what it was to be loved. He could not see hope for his future without his fiancée.

"It's okay, darling, it's okay," she gushed, trying her best to sound positive.

"Lisky, please," Savannah whispered, tears now starting to sting in her own eyes as she continued to hold Draco's weight. "Isn't there somewhere we can hide?"

Lisky's mouth turned into an 'o' shape and she slowly turned towards the window. Draco and Savannah's eyes followed.

"Yes…" Draco gasped.

"No," Savannah replied firmly. "We must be at least thirty feet above the ground."

"We can use my broomstick."

"It won't fit through the window, Draco," Savannah reasoned, rubbing his shoulders.

" _Arresto Momentum_?" he suggested pleadingly.

"Draco, we'll fall so quickly that we won't even have time to cast the spell. And even if we do, they'll catch us before we can escape the grounds."

"WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING!" he cried. "Please, Savannah… I can't lose you…"

"Draco, you're not going to lose me," she said plainly, kissing the side of her fiance's head.

OoOoOoO

"Why are we going after the girl?"

"Because where the girl goes, Draco will follow. Don't you see?"

"He won't do it."

"Yes, he will."

"He's infatuated with her."

"But how?"

"I don't know, she's a filthy half-blood. Don't know what Draco sees in her."

"No, you idiot. I mean how are we going to capture the girl?"

There was silence in the drawing room. Then Lucius spoke.

"We poison her," he muttered menacingly.

"What?"

"We poison her so that Draco is forced to show himself and his precious fiancée, so she can receive the necessary medical treatment."

"And then?"

"Narcissa will offer to take the girl to St. Mungo's. But instead, she will take her to us."

"Where we will keep her until Draco decides to do as the Dark Lord wishes."


	13. Safety

"LISKY!"

Draco, Savannah and the house-elf jumped in fright when they heard the thunderous yell of Lucius Malfoy below them.

"Lisky must go! Mr Malfoy demands Lisky's presence!" she said worryingly, holding the pink tea towel she wore, her feet turned inwards in fear.

"Go," Savannah nodded as she continued to rock a crying Draco on his bedroom floor.

"Lisky is ever so sorry, Master Malfoy, Mistress Falconer."

With a snap of her fingers, the house-elf vanished in a puff of smoke.

"I'm sorry," Draco whispered helplessly, his tears staining Savannah's clothing.

He clutched onto her tightly as though she was the only thing keeping him alive. He was scared that if he released his grip, she would be taken from him.

"This isn't your fault, Draco," she said, running her fingers through her fiance's hair lovingly.

"We never should have come back," he cried. "I thought my mother meant what she said… I was stupid for ever believing her."

"You weren't to know," Savannah replied, leaning backwards and cupping Draco's face.

"We can still get out of here," said Draco. "Please, darling."

He put his hands over Savannah's wrists and looked at her with a desperate longing.

"I have to keep you safe," he whispered. "I'd never forgive myself if they hurt you."

Before Savannah could respond, there was another knock at the door. The pair gasped and held onto each other.

"Master Malfoy! Mistress Falconer! It's Lisky," came a hushed voice.

Savannah made to stand up but Draco resisted.

"No!" he said. "It could be one of them."

"I'll check," Savannah whispered.

She walked to the door, quietly pushed the chest of drawers out of the way and slowly peered into the keyhole as Draco had done before. There stood Lisky, holding a tray which carried two glasses of iced water. Savannah opened the door and Lisky entered, balancing the tray in her shaking hands.

"What's going on?" Savannah asked her.

"Mr Malfoy only wanted Lisky to clean up a glass one of his visitors had dropped, which made Lisky realise that Master Malfoy and Mistress Falconer might also appreciate refreshments."

Savannah picked up the nearest glass of water and lowered herself back onto the floor beside Draco.

"Here you go, darling," she whispered, handing the glass over to Draco.

She comfortingly stroked her fiance's hair again as he brought the glass up to his lips. He looked relieved when the cold water slid down his throat, making him feel much better after all his crying.

"And for Mistress Falconer, too," Lisky urged, holding the tray forwards a little.

"Thank you, Lisky."

Savannah picked up the remaining glass which had a slice of lemon floating in it. Lisky curtsied clumsily and quickly retreated out of the bedroom with the empty tray. The refreshing liquid restored some of Savannah's energy, the lemon flavouring giving her an extra boost.

She helped Draco to stand up and took him over to his bed where he sat reluctantly. Savannah placed her glass on the little table beside it. She crouched down and took Draco's hands in her own. She wanted to show Draco that she could take care of him just as he took care of her.

"We can do this together, Draco," she nodded, trying her best to look confident as she gazed at her fiancé. "We can get out of here again."

"I want nothing more. But they already know we're here," Draco breathed. "If we go missing again…"

"I don't know what they'll do, and I don't know what we'll do, but what I do know is that we can't stay here," said Savannah. "It doesn't matter where we end up, Draco – as long as we have each other, we'll be fine. We'll protect each other."

Draco nodded eagerly.

"Only if you're sure. If you want to leave… go back home… or…"

Savannah interrupted him with a tender kiss.

"I'm not going _anywhere_ without you."

Draco smiled at his love adoringly.

"Where will we go?" he asked.

"Not here," Savannah said cautiously, shaking her head.

"What?"

"Walls have ears, you know."

She let go of Draco, picked up their bag of belongings and slung it over her shoulder.

"I'll get that," he said, standing up quickly.

"No," she replied. "It's my turn to look after you now."

She held out her hand. Draco put his glass of water to the side and took it.

"Together," she smiled.

OoOoOoO

Hand in hand, Draco and Savannah landed on fresh green grass outside a two-storey light brown cottage. A narrow path led to the front door which was guarded from above by a triangular grey and white arch. There was a large tree in the corner of the garden, big enough for a child to climb. Purple cockleshells and dainty pink flowers surrounded them, giving the place a welcoming feel.

The early evening sun warmed their faces. Draco turned around to see several children laughing and playing in a meadow, accompanied by a barking and jumping Black Labrador.

"Why aren't we hiding?" he asked nervously.

"It's a wizarding town," Savannah explained. "Caleb's Point. We're in Dorset."

"Dorset?"

"My cousin lives here," Savannah nodded towards the cottage before them.

Draco followed her up the little pathway and she knocked on the white front door. They stood back, and Draco wondered anxiously about which cousin this might be. He had never met any of Savannah's extended family. Although, since they lived in a wizarding town, Draco deduced that they must be related through Savannah's father.

The door clicked open. A tall, young man with broad shoulders and short dark hair stood in the entrance to the cottage. He shared Savannah's brown eyes, and looked at his younger cousin in amazement.

"Savannah!" Oliver Wood gasped.

He smiled widely and lunged forward, grabbing Savannah and pulling her into a tight hug. Savannah giggled and wrapped her arms around Oliver.

"How're you doing? I haven't seen you in ages! Look at you – my baby cousin, all grown up!" he exclaimed, looking at Savannah properly for the first time in several years. "What're you doing here? I mean, it's brilliant that you are! We've missed you like crazy."

"Well…"

Savannah's reply was cut off by the deadly stare on Oliver's face. He had spotted Draco standing awkwardly behind Savannah, shifting uncomfortably as he recognised the old Gryffindor Quidditch Captain. Then Oliver's eyes darted to the pearl engagement ring on Savannah's left hand.

"No," he whined in disbelief. " _Merlin_ , Savannah – I can forgive you for getting Sorted into Slytherin, but agreeing to marry a _Malfoy_?!"

"Please, Oliver," she said, glancing at her embarrassed fiancé.

She confidently reached for Draco's hand and squeezed it comfortingly.

"Can we come in?"

Oliver spent a moment glaring at Draco before sighing and stepping aside, allowing them to enter the cottage.


	14. Poison

The cottage was warm and cosy, yet modern inside. The smell of roast chicken wafted from the kitchen, making Savannah and Draco dizzy with hunger – they hadn't eaten a proper dinner in three days. Without warning, a very young girl appeared in one of the doorways and bounded towards them.

"Hello, darling!" Oliver beamed, picking his daughter up and resting her on his hip. "You remember McKinley?"

"Of course, I do!"

Savannah reached out and stroked the girl's thin, dark hair. Her eyes were shiny brown, like most members of Savannah's family. McKinley smiled sweetly at her but tucked her head shyly into Oliver's neck. A pang of guilt made Savannah feel uncomfortable. The truth was, she didn't recognise McKinley – she was just a baby when she saw her last.

Savannah had only visited Oliver once since he moved to Dorset. Three years ago, he married his Ravenclaw girlfriend at their home in Scotland, before being accepted as the reserve Keeper for Puddlemere United and moving to the south of England, where his daughter McKinley was born. Savannah couldn't believe that the tiny baby she held in this cottage three years ago was now the beautiful infant cuddled into Oliver. She meant to visit more often, but the timing never seemed right, what with Savannah's Hogwarts education and Oliver's new Quidditch career.

"Natalie's just making dinner – would you like some?"

"Oh – yes, please, Oliver!"

"Thank you," Draco nodded.

Oliver nodded back in acknowledgement and led them through the hallway into the large kitchen. The aroma was even stronger now, making Draco and Savannah's mouths water. A pretty, blonde witch was setting the table when she looked up and saw the pair of them.

"Savannah!" she squealed, abandoning her task to hug her. "Oh goodness, it's been so long!"

"I know, I'm sorry!" replied Savannah.

"No matter, you're here now. It's brilliant to have you back! Hi, I'm Natalie," she said, extending her hand to Draco.

He was taken aback yet he graciously shook her hand.

"This is Draco, my fiancé," Savannah smiled.

"You're getting married?!" Natalie exclaimed. "When?!"

Oliver promptly interrupted the conversation by asking Natalie to set the table for two more. She was surprised by her husband's bluntness, but did so all the same.

"I'm going to take McKinley up to bed," he told Natalie.

"Night, night, darling," Natalie smiled, kissing her daughter's soft cheek.

Oliver left the kitchen and carried McKinley upstairs, while Natalie urged Draco and Savannah to sit down.

"Pumpkin juice? Or would you prefer something a bit stronger?" she winked.

Savannah giggled and replied, "Pumpkin juice is fine, thanks, Natalie."

"Draco?"

Again, he was taken aback at this gesture of kindness from a stranger but quickly smiled and said that he would also have pumpkin juice.

"Did you hear? About Oliver?" Natalie asked she placed the drinks in front of them.

"No," said Savannah. "Is everything okay?"

"More than okay! The Puddlemere United Keeper got wiped out two months ago from a Bludger to the knee, so they've promoted Oliver from the reserve team to the official team."

"And next week I have my first match against Finland," Oliver smiled proudly, re-entering the kitchen and giving Natalie an affectionate kiss.

"That's wonderful, Oliver – you deserve it! You always were the best Quidditch player in the family."

"I don't mean to sound cocky, but – you're right there, Savannah," he said, sitting down opposite his cousin as Natalie went to take the chicken out of the oven. "I remember taking you for your first Quidditch practice when you got that little broom for Christmas."

Savannah nodded and blushed at the cringeworthy memory.

"I was five and you were ten."

"That's right. I've never come across a less competent Chaser in my life," he grinned cheekily.

"Hey! I was only a kid!"

"You're not much better now," Draco said quietly, giving his fiancée a shy smile.

"Shut it, you," she laughed, nudging Draco playfully.

"What about you, Malfoy? Ever get back on your broom after being slaughtered by Potter in your second year?"

"Oliver," Savannah hissed.

"Don't listen to him, Draco," Natalie said kindly, presenting two plates full of delicious looking meat and veg to the pair. "We can't all be as brilliant as His Royal Highness, here."

She smiled smugly as she placed her husband's dinner on the table.

Savannah and Draco had never been more grateful for food in their lives. They tucked into their dinner as Savannah, Oliver and Natalie exchanged stories and caught up on what each other had missed over the past three years. Draco, however, stayed mostly silent. He could feel Oliver looking at him disapprovingly.

By the time they'd finished, the sun had set. Natalie took them through to the spacious living room, in the corner of which stood a wide, flat-screen television. Savannah laughed and remembered that Natalie's parents were Muggles. She must have introduced Oliver to the popular contraption.

"Do you like it? It's called a television," Oliver smirked.

"I _know_ , Oliver – my mother is a Muggle, remember?"

"Oh, yeah," he smiled.

Oliver grabbed the remote and with a click of a button, a football match appeared on the huge screen in crisp, high-quality images. The surround-sound system they had installed amplified the crowd's cheers, making it feel as though they were there in the stands with them.

"This is football," Oliver explained, waving the remote at the television. "They have goalkeepers as well, although it's not nearly as good as Quidditch."

Draco looked confused as he watched the Muggle men kick a ball around a large green pitch with white lines painted on it.

"Again… half-blood, remember?"

Savannah loved her cousin, even though his inability to process information he wasn't interested in got on her nerves sometimes.

"Why don't you two boys stay here and watch the game? I'd quite like a word with Natalie," she said, turning towards Oliver's wife nervously.

"Of course," she smiled. "Draco, have a seat. I'll bring some Firewhisky through when we're done."

"Um…" Draco stuttered, looking at Savannah helplessly.

"You'll be fine," she said softly, giving him a quick kiss on the lips. "You want the team in blue to win."

OoOoOoO

"What's going on?" asked Natalie as she closed the kitchen door.

Savannah leaned awkwardly against one of the worktops, trying to decide on the best way to say what she was about to.

"I'm sorry to turn up so suddenly like this."

"Don't be sorry! You're family. You're welcome to come here any time you like. I'm sure McKinley would love to get to know you."

"She's so cute," Savannah smiled. "Spitting image of Oliver, isn't she?"

"The resemblance freaks me out sometimes," she smiled back, sitting down at the table.

Savannah pulled out a chair and joined her. Natalie could sense from her nervous demeanour that something was wrong.

"What is it, Savannah? Has something happened?"

"Kind of."

She leaned her head to the side, her gentle blue eyes inviting Savannah to say more.

"Draco and I… look I'm sorry to ask you this…"

"Don't be silly."

"We need somewhere to stay. Just for a night or two," she added quickly. "It's just… Draco's got an awful lot going on at home, and… he just needs to get away."

"Oh dear. He did seem awfully anxious, bless him. Of course you can stay, the spare room's all set up."

"No, no, we can sleep on the couch."

"When there's a perfectly good bed upstairs with clean sheets ready to be slept in?" Natalie raised her brow. "I don't think so."

Savannah smiled.

"Thanks, Natalie."

"So, what's going on at his place?" she asked.

"It's complicated. I'm sorry, I know that sounds really rude. It's just… I don't think he'd appreciate me talking about it."

"No, absolutely. Come on, then. We better go and rescue him from Oliver's football lectures."

OoOoOoO

"Merlin, I never realised how much I smelled," Savannah wrinkled her nose as she came out of the ensuite bathroom dressed in fresh pyjamas.

Draco grinned.

"You always smell beautiful to me, love."

Savannah pretended to dry heave at Draco's cheesiness and threw a cushion at his chest.

"You know, I think that's the first time I've seen you smile in days," she said.

"Come here, angel."

Savannah got into bed beside Draco and rested her head on his warm chest. He held her protectively and placed several kisses on her head.

"I love you so much, darling," he whispered to his fiancée.

"I love you too, Draco," she replied, stroking his arm affectionately.

They lay like that for a while, the sound of both of their heartbeats calming the other down. Just as they were about to fall asleep, Savannah gasped. She shot up out of bed and ran back to the ensuite bathroom where she vomited into the toilet. Draco hurried over to her, scooped her wavy hair out of her face and slowly rubbed her back until she was finished.

"What was that about?" he asked, handing Savannah a piece of tissue.

"I don't know, I…"

Her eyes rolled a little and then it looked as though she was staring into space. She went limp in Draco's arms.

"Draco, I feel really dizzy…"

She slumped forwards but Draco caught her and guided her over to the bed. He lay her down and stroked her forehead. It was hot to touch. He panicked, his breathing becoming faster with concern. Savannah started to shiver, despite her rocketing fever. Then Draco realised that she wasn't shivering. She was, in fact, convulsing.

"OLIVER! NATALIE!" he shouted desperately. "It's okay, darling, you're going to be okay!"

Two pairs of feet sprinted towards the spare room. Oliver burst through the door, quickly followed by a worried Natalie.

"What happened?" he asked urgently, kneeling beside Savannah.

"I – I don't know, she… she… she was sick and then she said she felt d-dizzy and then this started," Draco explained, gesturing towards Savannah's rigid shaking.

"Has she taken something? _Did you give her anything_?!" Oliver roared.

"Oliver!" Natalie gasped, running over and restraining Oliver who looked as though he could attack Draco.

"No! I…" Draco shook his head.

But then he realised.

The water Lisky had brought them. One of the glasses had a slice of lemon in it – which Savannah drank from. _It was meant for her_ , he concluded. They had put something in that glass, and used the lemon to cover the flavour.

He burst into tears and cupped Savannah's face. Her convulsing was lessening, although she was now losing consciousness.

"She's been poisoned," he said quickly, looking up at Oliver and Natalie. "It wasn't me, I swear – my parents – my parents…"

"AND I'M SUPPOSED TO BELIEVE YOU HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT?"

"Oliver, STOP! This isn't helping," Natalie cried, leaning forward to get a better look at Savannah.

"Draco…" she whimpered, reaching out her hand.

"I'm here, darling, it's okay. We're all here."

He took Savannah's hand and kissed it lovingly before her eyes closed and she stopped moving.

"Savannah…" Draco gasped in disbelief. "Savannah?!"

"She's still breathing," Natalie reassured him, finding Savannah's pulse on her neck. "But we need to get her out of here."


	15. Hurt and Comfort

"Stay with McKinley," Oliver told Natalie. "We'll take her to St. Mungo's."

"NO! Not St. Mungo's," cried Draco. "I mean… it's too dangerous."

"Care to explain?" Oliver scoffed.

"I don't have time," Draco replied. "Just, please – trust me. We should take her to a Muggle hospital. If you help me, Oliver, I promise I'll tell you everything later."

A conflicted Oliver turned to Natalie.

"You don't know the full story," she whispered, rubbing her husband's shoulder.

She lowered her voice even further.

"Savannah's in trouble. I think she's running away from someone."

Oliver looked at his younger cousin who lay helplessly, clutching Draco's hand. Her face was a ghastly shade of grey, and it looked as though she had been stripped of every ounce of strength in her body. He knew she didn't have long.

"Okay," he sighed. "There's a hospital about half an hour away. I can drive you there."

Oliver dashed downstairs to start his car while Draco gently lifted Savannah – and then their charmed luggage bag, just in case they had to make a hasty escape.

"Thanks, Natalie," he said as he followed Oliver out of the bedroom door.

"Be careful!" she called.

OoOoOoO

They say your hearing is the first sense to come back to you after regaining consciousness. First, Savannah heard the steady beeping of the anaesthetic monitor she was connected to. Next came the clinical smell of squeaky clean floors and sterile equipment. Then she felt the nasal prongs resting against her cheeks which provided a continuous supply of oxygen to her struggling lungs. She could taste nothing, her mouth so dry it was horribly uncomfortable. Finally, her eyes adjusted and she saw what she wanted to see most in the world at that moment – Draco sitting at her bedside.

"Draco…" she croaked.

He stroked Savannah's hand to make her more aware of his presence.

"It's alright, love. You're in hospital."

Savannah snapped out of her daze in panic.

"No!" she cried, trying desperately to sit up.

"Darling, lie down…"

"We can't be here, Draco; they wanted us to come! It's another trap, we have to leave…"

She pulled the nasal prongs out of her nose and ripped the blood pressure cuff off her arm.

"Sweetheart!"

"For goodness' sake, Draco – I can't believe you fell for it!"

"Savannah, I…"

"They put that potion in my drink on purpose to lure us to St. Mungo's! They're here, Draco, they're waiting for us!"

" _We're not in St. Mungo's_!" Draco hissed.

A confused nurse in the corridor outside the room turned around, suspicious of all the noise. Draco smiled falsely at her and she walked away, shaking her head disapprovingly.

"We're in a Muggle hospital," Draco explained under his breath. "So, no more mention of potions, please."

Savannah paused to take this information in and relaxed slightly against the pillows.

"Where's Oliver?"

"He's gone to find Dumbledore."

"Dumbledore?"

Draco nodded.

"I told him everything, Savannah. _Everything_. I didn't want to, I swear, but we need help, love. We can't do this by ourselves anymore."

"So, you told him about You-Know-Who? And about how your father wants you to become a… become one of _them_?"

"Yes."

"And you told him that we ran away to ask Snape for help?"

"Yes."

"And that we almost got attacked by that Burris in Knockturn Alley?"

" _Yes_ , Savannah," he said impatiently. "This is too big for us to face on our own."

She bit her lip worriedly.

"So where exactly is Dumbledore? And how is Oliver supposed to get hold of him?"

"He and Natalie are going to figure it out. The doctor says you'll be able to go home in a few days."

" _A few days_?!" Savannah spat, throwing the white sheet off her. "I don't bloody well think so."

She reached for the charmed luggage bag and rooted around inside it until she found a pair of jeans, a top and a cardigan.

"Sweetheart, don't," Draco pleaded. "Get back into bed."

"The longer we stay here, the more time it gives them to find us," Savannah replied, discarding her hospital gown and dressing herself in her own clothes.

"You could have _died_ , Savannah," Draco stood up.

"Your parents will know that we've escaped again. I bet they had Death Eaters stationed at St. Mungo's in disguise. And since we haven't turned up, they've probably realised we're at a Muggle hospital somewhere and sent them out to look for us."

"But…"

"And I'm not going to wait around here until they find us. In case you haven't noticed, Draco, you're supposed to take the mark on Monday, and it's now _Saturday_. We can't afford to get caught now!"

She slipped on some shoes and then zipped the bag shut.

"What time is it?"

"Almost midnight."

"Okay, let's go."

"Savannah, WAIT!" Draco exclaimed. "I'd feel much better if you stayed. Oliver and Natalie and I can take turns guarding the entrance."

"Oh, you'd love that, wouldn't you?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Getting to play the hero for a change, rather than being stuck in your father's shadow and following orders like a little lap dog."

Draco felt like he had received a blow to the chest. The last thing he ever wanted was for Savannah to compare him to his father.

"That's not fair," he said quietly, his eyes beginning to water.

"THIS isn't fair, Draco!" Savannah exclaimed, throwing her arms out.

"I'm sorry, I never should have…"

"Too right you shouldn't have. Running back home at the first sign of false reassurance? _Twenty four hours after we'd run away_?"

"I thought…"

"You thought WRONG, Draco."

A tear rolled down Savannah's cheek as Draco started to cry as well. Her voice softened, destroying her confident façade and revealing her vulnerability.

"You said that you wanted us to get out of there and be together. You said that everything would be okay as long as we had each other. But you didn't mean it."

"Of course I meant it, darling!" Draco whispered, wiping away his tears.

He approached his fiancée to embrace her but she backed up out of his reach. The stabbing sensation in his chest multiplied.

"You wouldn't have brought us back there if you were serious about wanting nothing to do with it all."

"You don't understand."

"I think I do," Savannah nodded. "I think you're so scared of your father that you'll do anything to please him. I think you ran away with the best intentions but then realised that without your father… you're nothing."

Draco's cries intensified.

"Please don't say that," he wept loudly. "I'm nothing like him, Savannah, I promise."

" _Then stand up for yourself, Draco_!"

"There's more to it than that…"

"Like what?"

"I can't…"

"Oh, you can't tell me, I should have guessed. How come I'm always left out of the loop?"

"I don't…"

"When your mother sent her Patronus to the hotel, saying that she could protect you now, and that she'd learned from the past? And when you slammed the door in her face when you heard her mention your father's name to me?"

Draco looked at the floor and shifted anxiously.

"I'm going to be your _wife_ , Draco. You can't keep hiding things from me," she whispered, a lump in her throat preventing her from speaking any louder.

Savannah allowed Draco to slowly walk towards her again. She sobbed as he leaned in and pressed his forehead against hers.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I love you, Savannah. Believe me, I do."

He put his hands behind his fiancée's neck and placed a tender kiss on her lips. Savannah hesitated for a while but then kissed Draco back, their tears blending together as they held each other.

"Can we go?" Savannah murmured into Draco's shirt.

"Yes, my love," Draco replied, keeping hold of his wife-to-be for just a little longer.


	16. A Familiar Face

Draco and Savannah anxiously walked past the nurses' station with their arms wrapped around each other.

"Miss Falconer? Where are you going?"

The nurse who had looked at the pair suspiciously during their heated conversation stood up from behind the large work desk.

"I'm leaving," Savannah replied quietly.

"Miss Falconer, there was a high level of a toxic substance in your body; the doctors are still waiting for your test results to come back so they can identify what it was!"

"I'm fine now," Savannah said more assertively. "But thank you."

"At least let me page the consultant to come and talk to you before you go?"

Savannah stopped in her tracks and turned more directly towards the nurse.

"Thank you for your help. I appreciate it. But my fiancé and I have to be somewhere."

She and Draco continued to walk down the long corridor together, but the nurse would not give up.

"Wait!" she called. "You have to sign a form declaring that you're…"

"I'm not signing any form," Savannah muttered to Draco. "Let's go."

They picked up their pace as they exited the ward. The hospital was quiet at this time of night. They only passed a few doctors and nurses as they sprinted around corners and flew down several flights of stairs. Finally, after following numerous signs, they reached the front reception, which was a lot busier as the accident and emergency department was only a few feet away.

Phones were ringing. Paramedics wheeled patients in on trolleys through the sliding doors. People sat in rows upon rows of plastic chairs, some pressing tissue against wounds, others comforting their injured relatives who were struggling with discomfort. The twenty-four-hour convenience store continued to sell drinks and refreshments to patients as they waited to be called forward to be seen by a nurse. Draco and Savannah looked at each other apprehensively, both thinking the same thing – this would be the perfect hiding place for a Death Eater in disguise.

"We should find somewhere quiet to Apparate," said Savannah, leaning in closer to Draco.

"I'm not sure about this," Draco whispered back. "Are you sure you're well enough?"

"Absolutely."

"It's a bit risky. There are so many people," Draco looked around fearfully.

"What do you suggest?"

"Taxi? There's a rank outside and we have Mug- I mean, we have money in the bag."

Savannah agreed and the two of them made their way outside to the taxi rank, where only one black car was parked waiting. Draco opened the back door and let Savannah get in first. He followed and closed the door behind him.

The taxi driver looked into his mirror to make eye contact with the pair, although he did not speak. He was a sour-looking man, with an untrimmed beard and rather shabby clothes. His ID badge displayed below the mirror read 'Terry Smith' with his license number and an unflattering photograph. Savannah felt uneasy at his frosty welcome, but asked him to drive them to Briar Glen – a Muggle town which was only a short walk from Caleb's Point. He simply nodded and pulled out of the taxi rank. Savannah let out a deep breath, closed her eyes, and relaxed against the head rest.

"You're tired," Draco said softly, taking Savannah's hand in his and stroking it gently with his thumb.

Savannah nodded drowsily.

"Come here," Draco whispered, opening his arm and inviting her to rest on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry for what I said in there," she said slowly with her eyes closed.

Draco shushed his fiancée and brought his hand up to run his fingers through her hair. He kissed her on the head before whispering, "It's alright, my love. You just sleep now."

As soon as Draco had given his permission, Savannah allowed the rocking sensation of the taxi to lull her to sleep. As he inhaled her familiar, comforting scent, he came to a realisation which made his heart pound.

"Savannah, we need to get out of here," he whispered so quietly in was barely audible.

"Hmm?"

Savannah rubbed her eyes and sat up straight again. Draco brought his mouth right up to her ear.

"He was sitting at the table during the meeting."

He did not have to say anything more.

The driver looked into his mirror again. Savannah studied him closely for a few moments, before recognising the face of Azkaban escapee Augustus Rookwood.


	17. Into the Depths

She stared at him for a second too long.

As quick as lightening, he whipped out his wand and aimed it behind him but Draco had predicted that the Death Eater would do this and beat him to it.

"EXPELLIARMUS!"

At his command, Rookwood's wand flew out of his hand and spun backwards. Rookwood growled as Draco caught his wand and pocketed it.

With a snarl, the Death Eater made a turn off the road that was so sharp it made Draco and Savannah lose their balance and fall towards each other. Other drivers hooted and hurled abuse at Rookwood. Savannah was crying, and Draco was trying to simultaneously comfort her and find a way to defend them both.

Rookwood took his foot off the break. The car hurdled over tall grass and uneven ground, with no light to guide its way, no light to let them see what was in front of them. Rookwood clutched the steering wheel with a vicious smile and a demented look in his eyes.

"Hold on, sweetheart," Draco gasped, clinging on to his fiancee's shaking hands. "It's going to be okay."

Savannah could not reply – she felt as though she was going to be sick.

Rookwood drove faster and faster, and with each yard he became even more determined as Draco and Savannah grew even more frightened.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, YOU MANIAC? YOU'RE GOING TO KILL US ALL!"

"Draco, we… we're going down a hill!" Savannah shouted, squeezing her eyes shut.

And sure enough, Draco felt the car tilt forwards as they began to race down a steep slope. Rookwood laughed wickedly as he turned the steering wheel this way and that, dodging towering trees, the branches of which scraped the car windows. Draco was sure of only one thing – wherever Rookwood was taking them, there'd be more Death Eaters lingering waiting to either capture or kill.

Draco was too dizzy to speak or think clearly. Like Savannah, he closed his eyes and the pair clung onto each other. Their only comfort was that if they were to die, at least they would die together.

Rookwood yelled, but it was not to express his amusement – it was unintentional. Draco and Savannah soon found out why: they had run out of road.

Without warning, the car spilled over the edge of a vertical cliff, the edge of which had not been seen in the darkness. Rookwood roared, Savannah screamed, and Draco was too nauseous to make a sound.

Deeper and deeper they fell, gravity pulling the heavy vehicle downwards. Draco was bracing himself for when they hit whatever was at the bottom of the cliff. He pictured more forest floor, or perhaps a meadow; but the reality was much worse than anything he could have imagined.

There was an almighty crash as the car plunged into a murky lake.

Rookwood had been knocked out by the impact. Savannah had smacked her head against the back of his chair and now had a bleeding gash on her face. Draco was not injured, but he struggled to breathe when he realised that the water had already risen to the level of the windows. He unbuckled his seatbelt and began tugging at the door handle.

" _Come on!_ " he urged through gritted teeth, trying repeatedly to open the escape route.

"Draco!" Savannah cried.

They had sunk a few inches; water started pouring into the car, immersing their lower legs.

"No, no, NO!" Draco hammered against the window with his fist, but it was no use – the glass was too strong.

Savannah unbuckled her own seatbelt and frantically searched for her wand. She pulled it out of her back pocket and pointed it at the window on her side.

" _Reducto!_ " she yelled.

Nothing.

They were running out of time. The water had already reached knee-level.

"The broomstick! Get the broomstick out of the bag!" Draco shouted.

Savannah ripped open their charmed luggage bag and dug her arm in. She rummaged as fast as her shaking hand would let her.

"Quickly, Sav!" Draco called over the chilling sound of the water that was filling the car.

Eventually she produced Draco's Air Wave Gold and passed it over to him.

They were now waist deep. The car creaked as it sunk another few inches.

Draco grunted as he battered the window several times, each hit stronger than the last. The adrenaline surge in Savannah's body intensified – they weren't going to get out of here.

Chest deep.

"Draco, PLEASE!" she cried, wading across to her fiancé.

"Yes…" Draco muttered as cracks began to appear in the glass. "Yes, yes!"

"Keep going!"

He continued to jab the broomstick handle into the window, more cracks appearing slowly but surely.

Shoulder deep.

Savannah wailed. She knew that Draco was already doing everything he could to get them out of the sinking car, but as the water rose and her breathing became more ragged, she doubted that they would escape alive.

"I love you, Draco," she spluttered, struggling to keep her head above the water.

Draco pulled her in closer to him and managed to hold her up a little higher.

"We're not going to die, Sav," he told her as he continued to bash the window with the broomstick handle.

"Draco, I can't…"

"You can, love, just hold on a little longer," he encouraged.

Savannah tilted her head back to avoid swallowing any more water. Draco was now spitting, too, as splashes of the dirty lake water impaired his vision.

"Almost… there…" he heaved, using every ounce of strength left in his body to smash the glass.

The car was now completely submerged in the lake.

Draco continued to jab at the window underwater, until _finally_ , the glass shattered with a muffled crack. He reached his hand out to Savannah. She grabbed their soaked luggage bag and threw it over her shoulder before taking Draco's hand. They swam out of the smashed window one after the other. They could not see anything – if they had not been holding hands, they would have lost each other in the depths of the lake.

They were both running out of breath, and quickly. They kicked their legs in a desperate attempt to reach the surface. Savannah allowed herself to think that maybe, just maybe, they would get out of there unharmed. That was, until, someone clamped their hand around her ankle and dragged her back downwards and out of Draco's reach.


	18. A Lesson Learned

Savannah screamed, or rather, tried to scream. All that came out of her mouth was a strangled cry and a gush of air. Rookwood must have woken up and swam through the smashed window towards them.

She could feel his grip tightening around her ankle – he was determined to drown her. She looked up for Draco but it was no use; the water was so dark and dirty that Savannah couldn't even see her hand in front of her face.

She screamed again as Rookwood wrapped his arms around her chest from behind and squeezed hard, drawing the breath and life out of her. She kicked violently, but it was no use; Rookwood was bigger, stronger, and had her in a secure hold. She cried for Draco, but she feared he could not save her this time. Her throat tensed up as her airway was compressed by Rookwood's scarred hands. In that moment, Savannah accepted that this was how she was going to die – at the hands of a Death Eater. She prayed that Draco would not be cursed with the same fate.

A large, glittering ball of silver light appeared up ahead – Draco had cast the _Lumos Maxima_ charm to catch sight of Savannah. She saw her fiancé a few feet above her. She let out another cry and struggled even harder, but Rookwood would not set her free.

As soon as Draco spotted his love, he dived down towards her. He extinguished the illuminating charm and instead cast a stunning spell at the Death Eater, missing Savannah by just inches. Rookwood jolted back, releasing his hold on Savannah's throat and plunging to the floor of the lake where the sunken car now lay. Draco grabbed Savannah's arm and pulled her up to the surface.

They spluttered and coughed when they inhaled for the first time in minutes. They had not realised how cold the water was, or in fact how far they had fallen from the cliff looming over them.

"Come on," Draco gasped, as he began to swim towards the bank.

Savannah followed, swimming as quickly as she could to avoid being captured by Rookwood again.

They soon reached the edge of the lake and climbed onto the pebbled surface. Savannah collapsed against a large rock and vomited, emptying her lungs of the murky water.

"That's it, darling," Draco gasped, reaching over to support her. "Get it all up."

When she was finished, she burst into tears and quickly wrapped her arms around Draco. He rocked her soothingly and cast his eyes over the vast lake, worried that Rookwood would emerge from the surface.

"We need to get somewhere safe and change out of these wet clothes," he said, as Savannah began shivering in his arms.

"Draco, I dropped the bag. We don't have any dry clothes. Or the blankets, or your broomstick… or the _money_ … oh, Merlin, I'm so sorry!"

"It's okay," he said quickly, trying his best to hide the anxiety in his voice. "We'll Apparate back to Oliver and Natalie's."

"What if the Death Eaters are already there? Even if we Apparate to somewhere else in the village, they'll be patrolling the whole area."

Draco bit his lip.

"We have to go back. To warn them, if it's not too late. Just, stay close to me and keep your wand out."

Savannah nodded and took Draco's arm.

They landed messily in Caleb's Point, stumbling as their feet touched the ground, both too shaken up to concentrate. They were in the village square, surrounded by neat shops and businesses above which their owners slept in flats. It was quiet and still; even _The Wandering Orc Inn_ had stopped serving drinks. A cat meowed and an owl hooted, and the sky was clear of the Dark Mark that Death Eaters cast once they had invaded a home.

"This way," whispered Savannah, taking Draco's hand and leading him across the square and down a dark pathway.

They soon reached Oliver and Natalie's cottage. Draco knocked on the door. Some muttering could be heard from inside, but eventually, a light came on and Oliver answered the door with his wand pointed and ready to curse any Death Eaters.

"Merlin's beard! Savannah, what are you doing here? And why are you both soaking?!"

He tried to keep his voice down to avoid arousing suspicion in the neighbours. A concerned Natalie arrived in the doorway. She gasped at the sight of Draco and Savannah in their dripping wet clothes. She ushered them inside.

"Answers later, Oliver. We need to get them dry. Come upstairs, you two – I'll give you both a pair of pyjamas."

"No pyjamas," Savannah panted.

"What?" Oliver questioned with a furrowed brow.

"We can't stay."

The four of them entered the living room. Oliver lit the fire with a flick of his wand. Draco and Savannah rushed to kneel in front of it, rubbing their hands together over the flames. Oliver and Natalie looked worriedly at each other.

"What's going on?" Oliver asked eventually, taking a seat on the couch as Draco and Savannah continued to warm themselves in front of the fire.

They hesitated. The more they know, they more danger they would be in – but they deserved an explanation. Savannah looked at Draco for permission. He nodded.

"Long story short… the Death Eaters are after us."

Natalie gasped again. Oliver sighed and put his head in his hands in frustration.

"Why?!" Natalie asked. "Why do they want you?"

"Because _he_ is bad news!" Oliver shouted, standing up and gesturing to Draco.

Draco looked down guiltily. Savannah rubbed his arm but he would not look at her.

" _McKinley is sleeping_ ," Natalie hissed. "And don't talk to him like that."

"Oliver…"

"No, Savannah," he interrupted. "He's a Malfoy. I thought you would know better than to trust one."

"This isn't his fault!" she insisted. "You don't understand, this… this is big. It's bigger than Draco."

Oliver gritted his teeth and sat back down on the couch.

"I'm sorry," Draco said in a quiet voice.

"Shut it."

" _Oliver!_ "

"Look, you've been so good to us – offering us food and a bed to sleep in. But we're putting you in danger," Savannah explained. "The less you know, the safer you'll be. They'll try to hurt anyone who helps us. We need to get out of here before they find out where you live."

"But what will you do?" Natalie asked.

Savannah shrugged.

"We'll think of something."

"Stay one more night, until you figure out where to go!"

"We can't," Savannah shook her head. "I'm sorry, Natalie."

"You can't just leave! Look at you – you're soaking, and, and freezing!"

Draco and Savannah looked at each other.

"It's up to you," Draco muttered, terrified that Oliver would hear him.

And so, they gratefully agreed to stay until sunrise. They bathed and changed into clothes that Oliver and Natalie no longer wore. Oliver refused to speak to Draco any further so he returned to bed. Natalie made tea and toast for the three of them and they took up their places in front of the fire once more. It wasn't long before Savannah fell asleep on Draco's shoulder. He thanked Natalie for the toast and carried his fiancée upstairs, gently placing her head on the pillow.


	19. An Unexpected Visitor

It was late when Savannah woke the next day. The sunlight shining brightly through the closed curtains roused her. Draco was not lying on the other side of the bed. She was panicked, and she was furious – they had agreed to leave first thing in the morning.

She heard chattering coming from the lower floor of the cottage. She climbed out from beneath the thick duvet and padded down the stairs with her arms crossed protectively around her body.

"Draco?" she called. "Draco, why didn't you wake me? We were supposed to leave hours ago!"

She opened the door to the kitchen and was rather alarmed at the sight.

Draco, Natalie and Oliver sat at the table, alongside none other than Albus Dumbledore.

"Oh…" Savannah retreated slightly, embarrassed to be in the presence of her headmaster in pyjamas that were not even her own.

"Good afternoon, Miss Falconer," he smiled.

Natalie, Oliver and Draco turned towards her standing in the doorway.

"Afternoon?" she said quietly, looking anxiously at the clock mounted on the wall, informing her that it was half past one. " _Draco, why didn't you wake me?_ "

"Do not blame Mr Malfoy, Miss Falconer. It was I who requested that he let you sleep."

"You? I mean, I'm sorry, sir, I didn't mean to sound rude," Savannah replied, taking a seat next to Oliver.

Dumbledore chuckled.

"It's quite alright. I imagine you must be surprised that I am currently sitting in your cousin's kitchen."

"A little bit, sir," she smiled, looking awkwardly at the ground.

"Mr Wood informed me of the events which took place last night."

Savannah could feel four pairs of eyes looking at her. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"How did he know where to find you?" she eventually asked.

"Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it."

"But… we're not in Hogwarts, sir."

"That is correct. However, you and Mr Malfoy are students of Hogwarts, and Mr and Mrs Wood, former students. All four of you have done myself and your Houses proud over the last few years."

Oliver sniggered.

"Slytherin has Housed some of the greatest sorcerers in history, Mr Wood. I had hoped Gryffindor would have made amends with their counterparts after all this time."

"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir," Oliver replied seriously, clearing his throat.

"Now," said Dumbledore. "Down to business."

Draco and Savannah listened in awe as Dumbledore expressed his sympathy for the situation in which Draco found himself in. He complimented him on his bravery, and commended him for choosing to stray from the dangerous path that his father had chosen for him, even though it meant putting himself and his fiancée at risk. He then commended Savannah for her loyalty and the support she had provided to Draco during this challenging time.

"Thank you, sir," Draco said quietly, wringing his hands as he always did when he felt nervous.

"You have done the right thing, Draco. I have tremendous respect for you and your decision. Therefore, I take it upon myself to provide you both with every manner of protection possible."

The pair looked at each other confusedly.

"But, sir…" Savannah started.

"Savannah," Oliver muttered with a reassuring smile. "Listen to him."

"You have heard of an organisation known as The Order of the Phoenix, I trust?" Dumbledore continued.

"No," replied Savannah.

"Yes," interjected Draco shyly. "My… my father warned me not to associate with students whose parents were members. He didn't tell me why, only that… that they were lesser than us, and did not support our – _his_ cause."

Savannah glared at Draco. She was angry that he had not told her this before.

"You are not your father, Draco," said Dumbledore gently.

Draco looked his headmaster in the eye for the first time that day, despite the worry that was still displayed on his face.

"I am proud of you. So very proud."

Draco's face lit up in a surprising manner. He looked as though he could burst into tears at any moment.

"No one has ever told you that, have they, Draco?"

Dumbledore's words triggered his soft cries.

Savannah's annoyance melted away. She held Draco's hand under the table. He gladly took it and smiled at his fiancée, feeling relieved for the first time in what felt like years.

Savannah felt extremely sorry for Draco. She had been lucky enough to have been raised in a warm household, with loving parents who could be strict at times but always had her and her younger sister's best interests at heart. They taught them to be kind, encouraged them to try hard, but above all, to enjoy life as much as possible.

Draco, on the other hand, had not been so fortunate. Growing up, he had rarely been shown any form of affection from his family, which in turn affected the way he viewed the world and treated others. He had not been viewed as a son, but merely an heir. Someone who could continue the bloodline of Malfoy, and contribute to the family's wealth and high status.

During his first years at Hogwarts, he was an annoyance, and a bully. His father had bullied him at home, therefore Draco assumed that this was normal behaviour and that everyone at school should accept it, as well. Delinquents looked up to him. They followed him around like leeches, empowered by making other students feel small and useless and embarrassed. He got a kick out of calling Muggle-borns "Mudbloods" (a term he had learned from his father), and from making fun of anyone who was a little peculiar or different. Savannah was disgusted by the pale, blond boy to begin with, although his gang never targeted her directly. But as the years went on, Draco's priorities changed, as did Savannah's feelings for him.

He learned the entirety of his family's dedication to Lord Voldemort and his mission. He learned why his mother's sister had been sentenced to life in Azkaban before she had escaped a few months ago. His father had _introduced_ him to the Dark Lord himself. He had invited that slithering, repulsive, terrifying creature into their house to meet – or rather, interrogate – the boy who would soon become a man and his newest Death Eater. A role he was expected to fulfil, without being allowed to voice his opinion or have his say. He was trapped in an endless circle – do as the Dark Lord says, or die.

Savannah was the only person to show him what it was to be loved. She was tender, amiable and understanding. Draco was wary of her at first – he was not used to such genuine decency. Usually his family were only falsely kind to him if they wanted him to do something – like agree to attend the meeting with the rest of the Death Eaters earlier that week.

But Savannah was patient. She gave Draco time to get used to their new relationship, and soon he learned to trust her. He learned that, inside, she was almost as broken as he was. Savannah divulged secrets to Draco that she had never revealed to anyone else – dark, unwelcome thoughts that plagued her mind and made her feel as though her brain was rotting.

Draco helped her to decipher reality from the disturbing images in her head. He held her whenever she got a strong urge to do something insensible until she felt safe enough to calm down. He hated that his beloved felt like this, but the way she leaned on him for comfort made him feel as though he had a purpose; that he was not just a pawn in Voldemort's game, who was bound to follow in his father's footsteps. He was strong, and he was _needed_. He finally had someone who he could love and who loved him back. Savannah understood Draco in a way no one else did. She was not only his love, but his best friend and confidante. The truth was, they needed each other. Two young Slytherins who kept up appearances and made others believe that everything was okay – but cried in private together, when the day was over and they were alone in their bed, using one another as their security.

"Let me help you," said Dumbledore.

A tearful Draco looked at a nervous Savannah. They smiled at each other before turning to Dumbledore and nodding.


	20. Spy

"I'm going to take you to a safe house of The Order," Dumbledore explained. "We have several hidden across the country, in case of situations such as this, although this safe house in particular has yet to be used."

"Where is it, Professor?" Savannah enquired.

"It is located in a town known as Ottery St. Catchpole. Have you ever heard of it?"

Draco and Savannah shook their heads.

"It is approximately 72 miles West of this very spot," said Dumbledore. "A charming place, with both Muggle and magical communities. The house itself is situated on the edge of the wizarding dwelling, though, of course, I have cast many protective enchantments around the place."

The four of them looked at the old wizard intently as he revealed his intricate plan.

"When you enter the house, a forcefield will be triggered, preventing anyone – Muggle or wizard – approaching you from a radius of one hundred yards. The building will also become invisible to the naked eye – so you must not exit the forcefield once you have stepped over its threshold. I understand that your family wish to take you to Borgin & Burkes to complete your initiation tomorrow evening, Draco?"

Draco lowered his head in shame and nodded.

"You shall remain in the safe house until I come to collect you. I cannot say when that will be, as I may have to arrange other safety measures for yourself and Miss Falconer after your family discover that you are not attending your initiation."

"But, sir… we don't have any of our things. All of our belongings were in a bag which I dropped last night in the lake," Savannah explained sadly.

"Not to worry, Miss Falconer. You and Mr Malfoy will find that all of your needs will be attended to at the safe house," Dumbledore smiled.

Draco and Savannah shared a look of disbelief.

"It is getting late," said Dumbledore, his tone of voice changing from kind to serious. "We must leave soon, before the Death Eaters find out that you are here. They located you very quickly last night."

"Will Oliver and Natalie be okay, sir?" asked Savannah. "I don't want them to get hurt for helping us."

"If we leave now, the Death Eaters should never know."

Savannah nodded. She stood up and hugged her cousin.

"Thank you for everything," she said into Oliver's shoulder. "I'm sorry about… everything."

"It's alright, Sav. Drama always has had a tendency of following you around," he smiled cheekily.

Savannah rolled her eyes jokingly and moved across to Natalie.

"Say goodbye to McKinley for me," she said, pulling Natalie into a warm hug.

"I wish you could stay a little longer," Natalie replied.

"I know. So do I. But we have to do this."

Natalie nodded understandingly, and then hugged Draco goodbye.

"You look after her," she told him.

"I promise," Draco said fiercely.

Draco and Oliver looked at each other awkwardly. Draco shifted uncomfortably and turned around to leave.

"Malfoy."

He found Oliver's hand outstretched waiting for him. Draco cautiously shook it after a prolonged silence.

"Good luck."

Draco nodded in thanks.

OoOoO

Fresh air filled Savannah's lungs as she landed in a forest clearing. She, Draco and Dumbledore had Apparated to the wizarding half of Ottery St. Catchpole. The sky above was grey and cloudy; it looked as though it may pour of rain any minute.

"This is where I'll leave you," Dumbledore said quietly, peering around them to make sure they had not been spotted.

The place was empty. Not even birds tweeted. A soft rumble of thunder made Draco gasp.

"You must go. Follow the pathway," Dumbledore pointed behind them to a narrow, winding trail. "And you will reach the safe house. Remember what I told you – once you cross the threshold, you must not come back out, as the protective enchantments will repel you should you try to re-enter."

The old wizard picked up a large stick from the ground beneath them, and with a silent flick of his wand, transformed it into a vast umbrella. He handed it to Draco and the three of them looked up at the sky nervously as a louder clap of thunder reverberated around them.

"Go," Dumbledore urged. "I fear this thunderstorm is more sinister than we would care to believe."

Draco and Savannah quickly thanked their headmaster. Draco opened the umbrella and wrapped his arm around his fiancée, who was still wearing Natalie's pyjamas. The two of them hurried down the indicated trail, hearing a _crack_ as Dumbledore Disapparated behind them.

Droplets of icy cold rain jumped off the umbrella covering their heads, making the ground they ran over wet and muddy. Dumbledore's warning about the thunderstorm being sinister made Savannah's heart race. Had the Death Eaters sent the storm? Did Voldemort know where they were going? Exactly how safe were they going to be in this safe house?

The sky grew darker and the rain became heavier as they approached a small log cabin.

"That's it! Let's go!" Draco shouted above the roaring thunder.

Three lanterns of flickering golden light hanging from the cabin's porch led the way. The pair jumped up two wooden stairs onto an empty deck, and charged through a blue wooden door with a window carved into it.

Little did they know, they were being watched. A pair of eyes followed their every move from behind a faraway tree trunk, unphased by the rain and thunder. The onlooker breathed heavily through their nose as Draco slammed the door closed behind him and Savannah, and the cabin vanished from view.


	21. Mistake

The place really was like a cosy little safe haven.

Lamps, candles and a fireplace had already been lit, welcoming them into the warmth. Another clap of thunder roared outside as Draco closed the umbrella and Savannah studied the place.

Immediately on their right was a circular table for eating, with four wooden chairs around it, and a candle flame inside a jar on its surface. Behind, a dresser stood displaying its contents of beautiful crockery, and according to the antique clock ticking on the wall, the time was ten minutes past three.

In front of the crackling fire, was a couch made of old green fabric. The cushions were soft and oversized, making it look as though you would sink into a deep slumber as soon as you sat down to rest. Underneath the couch was a dated rug with an intricate pattern of reds, browns and creams, and more flickering candles stood on a small table between the couch and the fireplace.

To their left was a lamplit kitchen area, with a stove, sink, refrigerator, kettle, and a collection of cupboards and drawers. Pots, pans and mugs hung from metal hooks, and a pair of light blue oven gloves were ready to use alongside several clean dishcloths. Beside the kitchen there was a sturdy wooden staircase leading to the upper floor of the cabin.

"This is perfect," Savannah breathed, her eyes wide in disbelief.

A flash of lightening accompanied the next clap of thunder. Savannah gasped, Draco jumped and they moved closer to each other, each wrapping their arm around their partner's back. When they had recovered from their fright, Draco walked over to the kitchen area and opened the refrigerator door.

It was packed full of delicious foods. On the lower shelves was a collection of fresh meat - chicken, beef, turkey and pork in great quantities. On the higher shelves; fresh fruit and vegetables of every colour, a tray of large eggs, a supply of cheeses, two blocks of rich butter, and – a mouth-watering chocolate cake with strawberries on top. There were a few pints of milk, and bottles of pumpkin, apple and orange juices. Several soft loaves of white and brown bread were stocked in a bread bin. Draco also found pasta, pastry, a variety of sauces and spices, crackers, nuts, potatoes and cereals. Tea, coffee and sugar had been provided, along with utensils like forks, knives, spoons and tongs.

"Dumbledore wasn't lying when he said our needs would be attended to," he said.

"That's an awful lot of food," Savannah approached him and looked around. "I hope he's not planning on us staying long enough to eat it all."

They shared a look of concern. Draco had not realised this. After all, Dumbledore had said that he did not know when he would be able to come and collect them. There was easily three weeks' worth of food in the cabin – Draco didn't doubt that Dumbledore had charmed it so that it wouldn't go off.

"Let's go upstairs," said Savannah.

She took Draco's hand and they climbed up the wooden staircase, which was lit by candles hanging in an ascending fashion on the wall.

First came the bathroom, which was also lit by lamps and candles. There was a shining white tub with glistening silver taps. Savannah gazed in awe at the fluffy towels which hung on rails, and the two white dressing gowns which hung on the back of the door. Slippers had also been provided for them both, along with a cupboard full of toiletries – miniature bottles of shampoo, dainty bars of soap, tiny tubes of toothpaste, new toothbrushes, clean razors, a comb and a hairbrush.

Next door was the bedroom. Two single beds lay against each side of the wall, and in between there was a window bordered by golden fairy lights. One large lamp stood in the middle of the beds, atop what looked like a polished tree stump. Each bed had blue tartan blankets, yellow pillows – and a pile of neatly folded clothes on top. Savannah gasped again and rushed over to the bed on the right to inspect the pile of clothes.

"Draco… Draco, they're ours!" she exclaimed gleefully, examining the garments she had put in their luggage bag before it sank to the bottom of the lake.

"What?"

Draco went over to the bed on the left and discovered that the pile of clothes was, in fact, made up of his shirts, trousers and jumpers, all of which had been washed, dried and pressed – Dumbledore had retrieved their bag from the bottom of the lake.

"Your broom!" Savannah squealed.

Draco whipped round and saw his beloved Air Wave Gold propped up neatly in the corner of the room. He smiled and picked it up, turning it slowly in his hands.

"Look!"

Savannah had found two pairs of Wellingtons and two pairs of walking boots lined up at the skirting board, all of which were dry. Their luggage bag – which was also dry – had been tucked away in the wardrobe, along with the money bags Draco had extracted from his safe in Malfoy Manor.

"Merlin," he whispered, opening the velvet pouches to find them still filled to the brim with undamaged Galleons.

"That man is amazing," Savannah grinned, wrapping her arms around a stunned Draco.

"We owe him big time," he agreed, hugging Savannah back.

The pair took off their wet clothes and changed into their own clean pyjamas. They returned downstairs and Draco made a strong mug of coffee while Savannah sipped a cup of tea. They snuggled on the couch underneath a blanket which had been folded up and draped over the side, and comforted each other as the storm raged on outside. Neither of them were too keen on thunder. Draco fiddled with the small radio on top of the fireplace but they could not find a station to tune in to. Either the weather was too bad, or they were too far away from civilisation. They fixed themselves some poached eggs and toast for dinner – they didn't feel up to cooking a large meal. Savannah looked around the small cabin as they ate at the circular table.

"So… we have to stay in here," she said slowly.

The wonderful first impressions of their new home had worn off. While she was ever so grateful for the food and clothes Dumbledore had given them, Savannah couldn't help but tense up with anxiety when it sunk in that they would have to live in this small space for an unknown length of time.

"Darling, don't think you have to do anything," Draco said gently, reaching for Savannah's hand.

"No!" she replied quickly. "No, that's not what I meant."

She sighed and looked down.

"I'm sorry, Draco."

Savannah let out a small cry. Draco stood up and embraced his fiancée, who buried her head in his shoulder.

"I just miss my family," she said in a small voice.

"I know you do, darling." Draco whispered, closing his eyes as he stroked her dark hair.

"I do want this, I do," Savannah urged, breaking away from Draco's hold and looking at him desperately.

"Sav, you're allowed to miss your family."

He lowered himself down so that he was kneeling on the floor and they could look at each other closely.

"I just want to know if they're alright." Savannah sniffed, wiping away her tears.

"Then we'll find out," Draco nodded.

"How?"

"You can produce a Patronus, can't you?"

"Yes… my father taught me last year."

"So, you can send one to him with a message," Draco smiled, stroking Savannah's hands reassuringly.

"But… how will he reply? I don't know if his Patronus would be able to get through the forcefield."

"Only one way to find out," Draco shrugged.

OoOoO

"You know, I still find it funny that your Patronus is a falcon – considering your last name is Falconer," Draco said amusedly.

Savannah rolled her eyes.

"It was clearly meant to be."

The pair smiled and cuddled closer in the dark. It was late now, and the storm had passed. After taking a long soak in the bath tub – with lavender bubbles created by Savannah to calm their nerves – they had moved the lamp and tree stump in their room to the side, so that they could push the two single beds together under the window. Savannah had conjured her Patronus, which took the form of a falcon, and sent it out into the night with a message for her father.

"It's amazing that you can do that," said Draco.

"Do what?"

"Cast the Patronus charm."

"Haven't you ever tried?"

There was a pause as Draco sighed and started rubbing Savannah's arm absent-mindedly.

"I've tried," he admitted. "But I never get more than a few swirls of silver light."

"Perhaps the memory you think of isn't happy enough?" she suggested.

"I try to think of you. Of us. Our engagement is my favourite – the smile on your face and the sparkle in your eyes when I knelt and presented you with that ring… you looked so beautiful that night. Not that you don't always look beautiful," he added quickly.

Savannah giggled.

"Go on."

"I picture our trips to Hogsmeade. Eating in the Three Broomsticks, visiting Honeydukes."

"Ah yes, and you'd always buy me a chocolate frog, every time," Savannah beamed.

They shared a small laugh.

"That's right," Draco said. "And I remember all the fun we had in winter, when the grounds were covered with ice and you'd fall over at every opportunity."

"Hey!"

"Then I'd carry you back to the common room and we'd spend ages warming up by the fire, just talking about anything and everything. We've had so many good times, Sav."

Savannah looked up at her fiancé and smiled, even though his eyes were fixated on the ceiling.

"But I just can't… every time I try, I…" he shook his head abruptly. "It doesn't matter."

"No, tell me." Savannah insisted, propping herself up with her elbows on the pillow.

Draco turned to her nervously.

"It's like I can only get a few seconds of our happy memories in, before… before I think of him."

"The Dark Lord?"

"Um…" Draco bit his lip. "Yeah. Him."

"Draco, don't beat yourself up. It's not fair that you've had to cope with all of this. I can see what it's doing to you."

Draco raised his eyebrows.

"What do you mean?" he asked quietly, looking worried.

Savannah sighed cautiously.

"I hear you. In your sleep. You call my name."

Draco squirmed uncomfortably and broke eye contact with his fiancée.

"It's okay," she said swiftly, placing her hand on the blanket to stop him from turning over.

He stayed still but could not look at her. The embarrassment swelled inside him.

"I hold you and I whisper things to you. And then you calm down."

"What else do I say?" Draco muttered, resisting the prickly tears in his eyes.

Savannah shook her head.

"Um… I don't know. You say "stop" a lot. And… "don't hurt her". What happens in these dreams, sweetheart?"

"You don't want to know."

Savannah opened her mouth to protest but was distracted by a silver light streaming in through the window. She gasped, leaned over to get a better look, and saw a Patronus in the form of a silver polar bear roaming around outside the cabin a few metres away.

"It's my Dad!" she exclaimed. "He got my message!"

She scrambled out of bed, but Draco grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"Savannah, _wait!_ "

Savannah stopped in her tracks.

"We can't leave the house, remember? We'll get locked out."

"But…"

She stood on her tiptoes to catch another glimpse of the silver polar bear.

"Look," said Draco, standing up and squinting at the prowling Patronus alongside Savannah. "It can't get through the forcefield. It's too dangerous to approach it."

"Draco, I have to make sure he and my mother and sister are okay."

She broke free of Draco's hold, threw a jumper and a pair of shoes on, and dashed downstairs.

"Savannah!" he called, doing the same and then running after her. "Savannah, please!"

By the time Draco reached the bottom of the staircase, the door to the cabin was wide open and Savannah was nowhere to be seen. He hurried out onto the deck and saw his shivering cold fiancée slowly approach her father's Patronus.

"SAVANNAH, DON'T GO ANY FURTHER!" he shouted desperately.

She turned around, her face blotchy from crying.

"Please, just wait till morning! It's too dark!" Draco tried to reason with her.

Savannah ignored her fiance's pleading and continued to walk towards to silver polar bear, who was still roaming left and right, trying to find an entrance to get through the forcefield.

"Savannah, PLEASE!" Draco screamed, his own face now stained with the tears that had threatened to fall earlier.

But it was as though the Patronus was hypnotising Savannah, drawing her ever closer to the edge of the forcefield, enticing her; teasing her. She figured that this urgent feeling was probably a result of her desperation to hear news about her family, although a small part deep down inside of her thought that, maybe, this wasn't her father at all.

She felt a rippling sensation wave over her as she penetrated the shield of Dumbledore's protective enchantments. She gasped slightly, turned around, and found that the cabin, and Draco, had disappeared from her view. She immediately regretted her decision, but it was too late. The glowing light of the Patronus extinguished.

"Hello, lovely."

A hand dug into Savannah's shoulder.

She yelped loudly and tried to fight the person off. She turned back around and discovered that the face of Fenrir Greyback was only inches from her own.


	22. Taken

**Author's Note: Graphic content of a sexual nature.**

"SAVANNAH!"

Fenrir Greyback, the werewolf Lord Voldemort had recruited to punish his Death Eaters' children, held Savannah by the scruff of her neck. He laughed menacingly at the innocent girl's cries and her failed attempts to struggle free.

"SAVANNAH!" Draco screamed again.

But it was no use. She could not see or hear him. The only way he was going to be able to save Savannah, was if that he too crossed the threshold of the protective enchantments, locking him out of the safe house for good.

 _It's me they want. They're hurting her to get to me_ , thought Draco. _If I hand myself over, they'll let her go._

He desperately wanted to believe it, but he knew that somehow it would not be as simple as he hoped.

He jumped down from the cabin deck and ran towards the werewolf who was now licking a distraught Savannah's neck.

"No…" breathed Draco, running faster than he had ever ran before.

He could not let that monster sink his teeth into his fiancee's flesh and sentence her to a lifetime of hate, despair and torture. But it seemed that biting her was not Greyback's intention. Instead, the animal caressed Savannah's slim frame, and it wasn't long before his scarred hand snaked down her thigh and in between her legs. Savannah cried louder at his touch which only fuelled Greyback's sneer.

"Thought I'd get my turn in before I hand you over to Malfoy Senior," he chuckled.

The werewolf's threatening words made Draco freeze. He gasped; his jaw dropped, his silver eyes amplified with fear. His legs became weak, his stomach churning with a horrible nauseous sensation. _'No… no, no, no, no…'_

Draco could not let his wicked father taint his fiancée in the way he had corrupted him… the way he _still_ corrupted him…

"No, please!"

Savannah screamed as Greyback's hand continued to exploit her, triggering a staggered wail from Draco that was silent to Savannah.

"Please! Please let me go…" she sobbed. "DRACO!"

Savannah's plead for him gave Draco the strength to pick himself up and charge towards them.

"SAVANNAH! SAVANNAH, I'M HERE!"

"He can't help you now," Greyback whispered.

 _Crack_.

They were gone.

Draco stopped abruptly in his tracks. The Manor… surely, he had taken her to the Manor, if he was taking her to Lucius?

He had to stop him. Without any more delay, Draco broke the protective shield for a second time, making the safe house completely invisible. He pictured his childhood home in his head, a place of nightmares and terror, and suddenly, there was another loud _crack_ as Draco, too, disappeared into the night.

OoOoO

Savannah stirred groggily. She was lying face-down on a wooden floor in a cold, dark room. Her ankles and wrists had been bound with thick rope which burned against her skin, and her teeth clenched down on another piece of rope which was being used as a gag. She could smell dust and, if death had a smell, surely this was it. She heard people muttering in conversation a short distance away.

"She stays here until the boy comes to find her." Fenrir Greyback growled.

"Understood," said a voice Savannah did not recognise.

"Yaxley is going to stay with you until that time comes. Just in case you were to have any… inclination… to let the girl go."

"Oh no, of course not, Mr Greyback," the voice said, this time with a slight tone of worry.

"He wouldn't dare. We'd have his insides splattered against these walls before we burned the place down."

Savannah did not recognise this new voice, either, although she assumed it was the Yaxley who Greyback had been referring to.

"We'll let the boy know that he has twenty-four hours," said Greyback. "This initiation ceremony _will_ go ahead tomorrow evening as planned."

"So… you'll swap the girl for the boy?" enquired the worried voice.

"That is not your concern, Borgin," replied Yaxley firmly.

Savannah's eyes widened. She was in Borgin and Burke's, the antique shop in Knockturn Alley, were Draco was to become a Death Eater in a matter of hours. She had been sure that Greyback was going to take her to Malfoy Manor; to Lucius. Had he been lying? Was he really going to give her to Draco's father, or did he just use that as an excuse to violate her before he brought her here?

"Now, you've been kind enough to offer your premises to us to carry out our business, and we're grateful," continued Yaxley. "But we are in charge of this operation, do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," Mr Burgin said quietly.

"All you need to know, is that if the Malfoy boy does not agree to take the Dark Mark, there will be a murder in this very room tomorrow night."


	23. Not Time Yet

A loud _crack_ in the darkness made a few birds squawk in fright. Draco had appeared in the deserted rear grounds of the Manor, and intended to enter the building as discreetly as possible. He looked up at the ancient building towering above him, with its vast grey turrets and rows upon rows of rectangular windows – through none of which light shone.

Tree branches rattled and leaves rustled as a gust of wind blew through the grounds, making Draco jump. But he did not have time to waste being scared out there in the dark; Savannah was somewhere inside that giant house, probably battered and bruised with a Death Eater's wand up against her neck. If he hurried, maybe he could stop his father from carrying out his evil plan.

Draco mounted the stone steps which lead to the back entrance of the Manor. He put his ear up against the heavy door, although he wasn't surprised when he couldn't hear anything. He took out his wand and muttered, " _Alohomora_." The keyhole lit up in a bright golden colour, and Draco heard a click as the door unlocked itself.

" _Lumos,_ " he whispered, entering the Manor and closing the door behind him.

He crept along the wide corridor, the ignited tip of his wand guiding the way. Where would she be? Where would they be keeping her? In the cellar? Perhaps. Or maybe, the attic? There were almost a hundred rooms in the Manor, on multiple floors. The truth was, the Death Eaters could be holding Savannah hostage in any one of them.

He didn't know where he was going. His natural urge was, of course, to go to his bedroom, although he doubted that would be a wise move. He merely followed his nose, turning this way and that, avoiding the creaking floorboards he had learned by heart after his sixteen years of living in the Manor.

"Where have they taken her?"

The voice of his Aunt Bellatrix made Draco stop abruptly and raise his wand with a gasp. She was in the living room up ahead. Draco extinguished the _Lumos_ charm and dived behind a pillar, listening for more information.

"To the arranged meeting place," said his mother.

"So, Draco will be there tomorrow night? To take the Mark?" replied Bellatrix.

"If he wants the girl to escape unharmed, then, yes."

Draco's eyes widened. Savannah wasn't in the Manor at all – they had taken her to Knockturn Alley. He cursed himself. How in the name of Merlin could he have been so stupid as to think that they would bring her back here?

"And if he doesn't show?"

"Then she will be disposed of," said Narcissa simply.

Draco's heart pounded. _They want my life for hers_. Just as he had suspected – if he gave himself up, and agreed to become a servant of the Dark Lord, they would let Savannah go. Yes, that's what he would do. He would go to Borgin  & Burke's, complete the initiation ceremony and have the Dark Mark imprinted on the inside of his left forearm, in return for Savannah's safety. Then, when they left that place, he would insist on sending her back home, to Edinburgh, to her family. She would be protected there, cut off from him and the rest of the Malfoys for good. Draco's bottom lip quivered and his eyes began to water as he realised that this meant they could never marry. But it was in Savannah's best interest – she'd already been harmed too many times because of her association with a Death Eater's son.

He retreated to the rear of the Manor, away from his mother and aunt, and located a back staircase that would take him to his bedroom, albeit via a longer route; he couldn't risk being seen darting up the main staircase beside the living room. Draco's chest became tighter as he swiftly walked through the upper floors of the Manor. He had to do this. He had no choice. He could not let his fiancée die at the hands of the Dark Lord.

Draco entered his bedroom and turned on the light. He closed the door behind him and cast another silencing charm around it. He immediately opened his wardrobe and pulled out his best suit – the one he had worn to the meeting in his family's drawing room where he was informed of the mission given to him by the Dark Lord.

He discarded his trainers, his hooded jumper and the pyjamas underneath them.

" _Evanesco_ ," he muttered, pointing his wand towards the pile of clothing on the floor, which then vanished; he did not want to leave any evidence that he had returned to the Manor.

He quickly got dressed into his black trousers and shirt, as well as his black tie with a miniature silver pin in the shape of a serpent. He laced up his black shoes, put on his black suit jacket, and went to the mirror to inspect his appearance. He had to look professional, believable; like he had arrived at Borgin & Burkes' out of his own free will, as though it were his wish to become a follower of the Dark Lord. The suit gave this impression – his puffy eyes and skinny frame said otherwise. He swept his hair to the side, and prepared to Apparate to Knockturn Alley – but he was interrupted by the sound of his door handle turning.

Draco whipped his head around, gasped, and took a few steps backwards, raising his wand. His breathing quickened as the door clicked and began to open slowly.

"Who's there?" he demanded, taking a few more steps backwards.

"Hello, dear."

His Aunt Bellatrix stepped into the light and gave her nephew a sadistic smile.

"I know what you've done to her," said Draco, keeping his wand ready to strike. "I'm going to get her back."

"No need to rush, Draco, dearie!" Bellatrix grinned. "You have another whole day before the half-blood is murdered."

"Shut up," Draco hissed, his grip on his wand tightening as he shook with fear and rage.

"That's no way to talk to your Aunt, Draco."

Bellatrix's voice had softened. Somehow this made the only female Death Eater appear even more threatening. Draco's eyes widened as Narcissa appeared behind her sister.

"You are not my Aunt," Draco said angrily. "And _she_ …" – he pointed his wand to Narcissa – "is not my mother."

"That's enough, Draco," concluded Narcissa, raising her head in a defiant way.

"Where is he?"

"Who?"

" _Lucius_."

"Your _father_ ," Narcissa raised her voice. "Is out on business."

"Well, get him _back_ from business," said Draco firmly. "Because I'm going to do what you want."

"It's not time yet, dear," smiled Bellatrix.

Draco shifted his wand from his mother to his aunt.

"Yes, it is, _Bellatrix_ ," he spat.

Bellatrix's eyebrows raised and her mouth fell open in disbelief.

"Draco," Narcissa said sternly.

"This ends now," he shifted his wand back to Narcissa. "I'm going to take the Mark, and you are going to let her go."

" _Not yet_."

"Why not? Why don't you want to get it over with?"

"I…"

"It wouldn't be because Lucius is about to rape my fiancée, would it?"

" _PETRIFICUS TOTALUS_."

Draco fell to the floor at the blow of his aunt's body-binding curse. His head smacked against the rug and his limbs became rigid. He couldn't speak, he couldn't move – he was trapped inside his own skin. His eyes flickered as Bellatrix crouched down beside him.

"That's exactly why," she growled wickedly, patting her nephew's silver-blond hair. "Lucius is going to have his way with your _darling_ fiancée before we give her back. And there is absolutely nothing you can do about it."


	24. Memories

"Tell me, Borgin – should we have to resort to desperate measures tomorrow evening… where do you suggest we dispose of a body?"

"A… a body, Mr Yaxley?"

"Answer the question, fool."

"Well, I… I know Elkins, the funeral director…"

"Bruno Elkins? Of E.L.M and Wizards Undertakers & Embalmers?"

"That's the one, at the end of the Alley. You could take the girl – I mean, take the _body_ … to Elkins and say that you found it dumped somewhere? That you didn't see anything, and thought the poor mite deserved a decent burial at least? He won't ask questions, Mr Yaxley."

There was a pause.

"Thank you for your input, Borgin. It is very much appreciated."

"No problem at all, Mr Yaxley. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Make yourself scarce and forget this conversation ever happened."

"Of course, sir."

Savannah heard a pair of feet scurrying away to the upper floors of the building.

She was being held in the damp cellar beneath the shop. She was still lying face down on the stone floor, after the Death Eaters had knocked her out and shackled her limbs with rope. She tried to shuffle into a sitting position, but with her ankles and wrists tied together, her efforts proved fruitless. She tried to chew through the gag which was strapped around her mouth, but it was too thick to be penetrated.

 _How_ , in the name of Merlin, could she have thought that that polar bear was truly her father's Patronus? Surely it just seemed too simple, too good to be true? All she could remember was becoming fixated on its glowing silver light, and before she knew it, her feet were moving on their own accord, across the woodland towards the trap. She could hear Draco's protests in the background, but they weren't making any sense. Almost like she had been enveloped into a trance which had numbed her senses. She recognised Draco's voice but not the words he was shouting.

Draco. _What have they done to him?_ Savannah's breathing became heavier as she remembered what Yaxley and Greyback had said. If Draco refused to become a Death Eater, Savannah would be killed. She did not doubt for a second that they were telling the truth.

Where was Draco now? Was he safe? Had he been hurt? Savannah couldn't bear the thought of her fiancé being forced to succumb to a lifetime of service that he did not want nor ask for. If he turned up to his initiation, and gave up his freedom in exchange for Savannah's life, she would never be able to forgive herself. It would be her fault that Draco would be tormented by the Dark Lord for the rest of his days. If he made Draco harm anyone, their blood would be on her hands. She wanted to get out of that place alive, but what she wanted even more was for Draco to be free.

But for now, all she could do was wait. Wait down here in this dark, cold prison, with nothing but her racing thoughts to keep her company.

OoOoO

Draco groaned in pain as his body slowly began to unfreeze.

After attacking him with the body-binding curse, Bellatrix and Narcissa had fled the room and locked the door behind them, leaving a paralysed Draco collapsed on the ground. But now his joints were starting to loosen, and his muscles beginning to relax. After a short while, he could turn his neck, and saw that his wand had rolled under his four-poster bed during the altercation with his aunt.

He rolled over and crawled towards it. When he stretched his arm out to retrieve the wand, his hand brushed against a wooden box that he had kept hidden under his bed for several months.

He pulled both items out from underneath the bed. He pocketed the wand, and then stroked the wooden box delicately, tracing its intricate pattern with his fingers. He carefully undid the bronze clasp and gently lifted the lid.

Inside the little box, were tokens of his relationship with Savannah. It contained all manner of physical objects, each of which represented a memory. Draco took a deep breath as he caressed the contents of the box, as though they were as precious as Savannah herself.

The first was a photograph of the two of them which had been taken at the Yule Ball on Christmas Eve two years prior. Like all photographs in the wizarding world, the subjects of the image moved – in this case, it was Draco and Savannah dancing in the elaborately decorated Great Hall. They gazed lovingly at each other and smiled as they waltzed, glittering snowflakes gliding down from the enchanted ceiling above them. Draco was wearing his finest dress robes, while Savannah adorned a beautiful purple gown with golden beading, and wore a matching hairpiece in her dark waves. Draco felt a heaviness in his chest as he replaced the photograph into the box. He then found two ticket stubs:

 _422_ _nd_ _Quidditch World Cup_

 _Ireland vs. Bulgaria_

 _Thursday 25 August 1994_

 _Master Draco L. Malfoy_

 _Minister's Box – Seat Number 16_

 _422_ _nd_ _Quidditch World Cup_

 _Ireland vs. Bulgaria_

 _Thursday 25 August 1994_

 _Miss Savannah R. Falconer_

 _Minister's Box – Seat Number 17_

It was at the Quidditch World Cup Savannah had met his parents for the first time. Draco remembered her look of astonishment when she found out Lucius had managed to get _four_ tickets for seats in the Minister's Box.

" _Draco, that's incredibly kind of your father, but those tickets must have cost an awful lot of money! Let me pay him back."_

" _He wouldn't dream of it, Savannah. Father's very close with the Minister, you see – Fudge owed him a favour, and my mother is ever so excited to meet you."_

However, their meeting did not go as planned.

The four of them ate a large meal at the Manor before setting off for the Quidditch stadium. The food was even more delicious than usual – Draco guessed that his mother had threatened the house elves with some sort of barbaric punishment if they did not produce the finest of dishes. _Anything to show off_ , Draco remembered thinking. Lucius then began to question Savannah about her family, which was when she revealed that her father was a wizard and her mother, a Muggle.

 _Narcissa almost choked on her wine._

" _A Muggle?"_

" _Yes, Mrs Malfoy."_

 _Lucius raised his eyebrows disapprovingly._

" _Tell me, Savannah – in which Hogwarts House was your father placed?"_

" _He was a Gryffindor, Mr Malfoy," Savannah replied cautiously._

" _So, we've established that not only are you of impure blood status, you also come from a lineage with no connection to the House of Salazar Slytherin."_

" _Well, I'm… I'm in Slytherin, Mr Malfoy."_

" _And a disgrace to the name, you are…" Lucius muttered with a disgusted look._

" _Father…" Draco whispered, to which he received a kick in the shin in response._

The next morning, Lucius' harsh words drove Draco to tears.

" _She is a_ half-blood _, Draco!" he said as he paced angrily up and down the room._

" _But, father, she doesn't even get on with her mother! She told me herself. She says they have nothing in common, and they're always bickering…"_

" _That's not the_ point _, Draco," he spat. "She's impure! She's tainted. She has Muggle blood inside of her!"_

" _But, father, I… I really like her."_

" _You're pathetic, boy. Listen to yourself. She's beneath you, Draco. She'll only cause trouble. Her type can't be trusted."_

Draco snapped out of his flashback and panic overcame him once more. He had to stop him. He had to stop his father from hurting Savannah in the same dreadful way that he hurt him throughout his childhood and into his adolescent years. He didn't care if he was murdered in the process – he had to try to protect his fiancée from his father's evil schemes.

He took the photo from the Yule Ball and slipped it into the pocket on the inside of his suit jacket. He closed the wooden box and quickly moved it back under his bed. He picked himself up off the ground and cast the _Bombarda_ charm in the direction of the keyhole, following an unsuccessful attempt at _Alohomora_. The keyhole, and the area surrounding it, blew up with a _bang_ , the debris from the small explosion littering the floor. Draco turned the handle and opened the door with ease, then set off down the wide hallway in a sprint towards the nearest escape.


	25. Tainted

**Author's Note: This chapter contains graphic content of a sexual nature.**

Savannah's body ached with exhaustion, but she could not remain calm for long enough to fall asleep. Still lying on her front in the dark cellar, with her wrists and ankles tied and a knot of rope between her teeth, all she could hear was a steady _drip, drip, drip_ as water from a leaking pipe splashed against the ground.

Savannah adjusted her head slightly and felt a sharp pain in the back of her neck, where Greyback had dug his nails into. Her slim wrists were being constrained so tightly by the old rope that a stinging, red rash was beginning to develop on her porcelain skin. She had not noticed before, but when her tongue tasted the wetness of blood on her lips, Savannah realised that she had been punched in the face by a Death Eater, which was what caused her to lose consciousness.

The discomfort would have been strong enough to make her flinch in any other circumstance, but she was so drowsy that she simply did not have the strength. Were they really going to keep her locked up down there until tomorrow evening?

The bell hanging by the doorway of Borgin and Burke's chimed – someone had entered the shop. Savannah gasped and her eyes widened as she listened for further clues as to who this person was.

The heavy tapping of boots against wooden floorboards.

 _A man._

The clink of a metal cane.

 _Lucius._

Savannah recognised the sound of that metal cane. The black one, with his wand concealed inside it, a silver serpent's head attached to its handle. Lucius never left the house without that cane. There was no doubt that this new arrival was Draco's father.

"Yaxley."

"Malfoy."

There was a pause after the two Death Eaters greeted each other.

"Where are you keeping the half-blood?" asked Lucius.

"In the cellar."

"Does Draco know?"

"I imagine your wife and sister-in-law would have informed him by now."

 _Draco knows._

Savannah tried to contain the spark of hope which had lit inside of her. Her eyes began to water, not with fear, but with relief. _He'll come for me._

But then she hated herself for pondering over it and tried desperately to erase that thought from her mind. She did not want Draco to come and rescue her – doing so would mean him handing himself over to the Dark Lord and risk being murdered if he failed to do as he commanded. No, she had to stay here and he had to stay away; find cover, tell someone he trusted at the Ministry about what he knew so they could put a stop to this.

Savannah held her breath as the door to the cellar creaked open. Lucius took his time descending the crooked staircase, his cane tapping sharply again and again on the stone beneath it.

"And to think… that Draco honestly believed he could make a filthy half-blood like _you_ my daughter-in-law…" he sneered as he stood over Savannah's trembling body.

He silently cast a spell which caused the ropes binding Savannah's ankles and wrists to snap. She quickly turned onto her back and removed the piece of rope which had been tied around her mouth. Lucius lunged forwards and grabbed her by her dark hair, dragging her to her feet. Savannah yelped in pain at his rough handling which only made him smirk.

Lucius spied the area on the back of Savannah's neck where Greyback had dug his nails into. He mimicked Greyback's action, piercing the sensitive skin once more and causing fresh blood to seep down Savannah's collar. She cried louder this time, and Lucius responded by shoving her up the staircase forcefully. He dragged her onto the shop floor of Borgin and Burke's, where Yaxley was leaning against the counter with a smug look on his face.

"Don't look so jealous, Yaxley; you'll get your turn."

Yaxley chuckled wickedly.

"You don't mind an audience, do you, Lucius?" he teased.

"Not at all, my friend."

The two men laughed together as Savannah retreated further into herself. She squealed as Lucius tightened his grip on the back of her neck. Yaxley tutted.

"Lucius, you've made her cry!"

Before Savannah could process anything further, she collided with the wooden floor – Lucius had thrown her to the ground. He stood above her, smiling menacingly.

"She'll have many more things to cry about when I'm finished with her," he growled, a sadistic gleam shining in his grey eyes, identical to those of his son.

Yaxley pulled the blinds down, covering the shop windows. Savannah's heart pounded as she realised what was about to happen – Greyback had not been lying. Her fiancé's father really did hate her this much.

She tried to switch off; to close her mind and pretend not to pay attention to what was happening, as Lucius discarded his cane and unclipped his robes.

 _You, stupid girl_ , she scolded herself. _This is all your fault. You followed that wretched Patronus and fell right into their trap_.

He crawled on top of her, his strong physique crushing her frail one.

 _Draco will hate you for this_ , she thought. _As soon as he finds out what has happened, he won't want to be within an arm's length of you. You'll disgust him._

Lucius' long blond hair fell over Savannah's face like a curtain as he crouched down and began to kiss her neck. Savannah cried and kicked her legs, but was quickly overpowered by the Death Eater's stamina. She held her breath so as not to breathe in his scent – she did not want the memory to haunt her in the aftermath.

 _Draco will never want you when he discovers how dirty you are. You can forget about becoming his wife. He won't be able to stand the sight of you._

Lucius slid his hand underneath Savannah's jumper and began to fondle her breasts as she continued to cry. Yaxley chuckled again.

 _Utter filth. You're a disgrace. You deserve to die after what you've put Draco through_.

The Death Eater's other hand stroked her thigh teasingly.

"NO, PLEASE!" she screamed.

 _BANG._

There was a fiery spark of orange light, glass shattered and crumbled, and the front door of the shop propelled open. There stood Draco, his wand aloft, dressed in his best black suit, not the jumper and pyjamas in which Savannah had last seen him. Without hesitation, he stunned Yaxley and his father, sending them both flying to the other end of the shop. They landed in a heap behind a display of ancient bones and skulls.

Savannah cried with relief at the sight of her fiancé. She rolled onto her left side, and brought her knees up to her chest, but she reached her arms out and pleaded silently for Draco to come to her.

"Oh, darling…" Draco breathed, lunging onto the floor to attend to Savannah. "Are you alright?"

Savannah could not speak; she could only wail in paralysing fear. Draco shushed her gently as he cupped her scarred face and stroked her damp hair. Draco removed his hand and found it to be stained with blood produced from the gash in the back of her neck. His mouth opened in terror. He looked over to where the two Death Eaters lay, collapsed.

"Oh, sweetheart, what did they do to you?" he wept, carefully guiding his fiancee's head onto his lap.

Savannah's cries calmed a little but she could not answer Draco's question. He leaned over and placed soft kisses along the unmarked areas of Savannah's face. Still, she screwed her eyes shut and winced in pain.

"I'm sorry, darling, I'm sorry," he whispered quickly, although he was not just apologising for hurting her.

There was a groan from behind the skull display case – Lucius and Yaxley were stirring.

"Come on, my love, let's get you up," Draco said hurriedly, adjusting his position so that he could guide Savannah into a sitting position.

"Not so fast."

Draco whipped his head round to find Fenrir Greyback leaning against the blasted door frame, the Carrow siblings grinning behind him.


	26. Draco's Sacrifice

"How nice to see you, Draco," the werewolf teased, strutting into the shop. "So – it looks like you've made your decision."

Draco nodded firmly, then turned his attention back to Savannah, who now felt so weak that her eyelids were drooping as Draco held her in his arms.

"Don't worry about her," said Greyback, waving his hand in a dismissive manner. "Half-bloods are tougher than we give them credit for."

The Carrows sniggered in unison.

"Amycus, relieve Yaxley and Malfoy Senior, would you? I know Lucius would not want to miss such a proud moment."

At Greyback's command, the male Carrow sibling approached the two men lying in a heap behind the old display case. With a few waves of his wand, Yaxley and Lucius returned to consciousness, mumbling and moaning as they slowly picked themselves up off the floorboards.

"Don't do it," Savannah whispered so quietly that only Draco could hear.

"Ssh, darling… don't worry," he whispered back, rocking his fiancée to calm her.

"Ah, Lucius," smiled Greyback, as the elder Malfoy began dusting himself off and retrieved his cane which he had thrown to the side.

"What did you do to her?" Draco snarled at his father. "Why is she bleeding?"

"Don't take that tone with me, Draco," Lucius warned as he sauntered over to the pair of them.

"Now, now, Lucius," said Yaxley sarcastically. "The boy's only curious. Why don't you tell him what you and… _Savannah_ … have gotten up to tonight?"

Greyback, Amycus and Alecto laughed. Lucius smirked at their reaction.

"Let's just say, Draco, that _Savannah_ here needed a little… persuading… to engage in the activities which we had planned for her this evening. Activities which _you_ very inconveniently interrupted."

Draco thought he was going to be sick.

"You're revolting," he spat. " _Look at her!_ "

Drops of blood from Savannah's wound had fallen onto the floor. The back of her jumper was now damp and crimson, along with Draco's hands. She was blinking rapidly, trying ever so hard to stay awake. The colour had drained from her face. She was clinging on to Draco's suit jacket as though it were the only thing keeping her alive.

"Draco, for Merlin's sake, I did not raise you to show this level of compassion for dirty-blooded wizards," Lucius snapped.

"She is my _fiancée_. She is going to be your daughter-in-law. She's going to mother my half-blood children and your half-blood grandchildren."

Lucius looked disgusted. He went to draw his wand from his cane but Draco saw it coming. He lifted his wand first and, in tears, sent another stunning spell at his father.

"I WILL NOT LET YOU HURT HER THE WAY YOU HURT ME!" he screamed, although his father was already deaf to his words.

Silence.

The Death Eaters looked at each other in amused shock. Draco wept helplessly.

"Draco…" Savannah whispered in a broken voice.

Her tired brown eyes met her fiance's scared grey ones. Draco howled and lowered his head. Savannah was still too weak to move her weight, but wrapped her arm around Draco's neck. She stroked his blond hair soothingly as he cried into her shoulder.

The onlookers exchanged awkward glances. This was news to them, as well.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Savannah whispered into the material of Draco's suit.

Draco did not reply. He could only cling onto Savannah even tighter. She felt constricted, crushed; but she would not dare pull out of her fiance's embrace.

They cried together for a few more moments before Yaxley cleared his throat.

"Let's get on with it, Draco," he drawled in his calculating voice.

Draco lifted his head and looked at the Death Eater standing before him.

"N-not until you let her go," he stammered.

He turned around to find Greyback.

"That was the deal, wasn't it? If I agreed, then you would let her go."

Nobody spoke.

"I'M NOT DOING ANYTHING UNTIL YOU SAY SHE CAN GO!"

"Draco…" Savannah rubbed his back and rested her head against his shoulder.

It took all of Draco's willpower not to curl back into her protective hold.

Yaxley sighed.

"Fine. She can wait outside."

"She needs to go to St. Mungo's," Draco said urgently, watching the trail of blood leaking down Savannah's spine.

"And you think we're as stupid as to let you take her, and then trust that you'll come back to us?!" Yaxley roared. "No. She waits outside. Or, if you'd prefer, she can stay and watch."

"Draco, don't…"

Draco shushed his fiancée again. He adjusted his posture and gained the strength to lift Savannah.

"Put her in the alleyway around the corner; beside Potage's Cauldron Shop."

"She stays where I can see her," Draco said with every ounce of bravery he could muster.

Yaxley's patience was wearing thin.

"Fine," he shouted again. "Put her across the street. You'll be able to see her through the hole in the door which you so _gracefully_ blasted open."

Draco took Yaxley up on the offer, and, followed by Alecto, carried Savannah across the cobbled street and laid her feeble body to rest against the steps to a small shop named _Moribund's_.

"Draco, please," she pleaded one last time, tugging on his black suit jacket. "You don't have to."

"I do, my love," he muttered, placing a tender kiss on her forehead. "Now, you stay here. I won't be long. Then I'll get you to St. Mungo's, okay?"

"But…"

Savannah sniffled and began to cry in panic.

"Sweetheart."

Draco lowered himself to the ground so that he could look in her eyes. He had calmed down now; he knew what he had to do to keep Savannah safe, and he was ready and willing to go through with it.

"Sav, let go," he said gently, prising her scarred hands away from his jacket. "I'm doing this for us, okay, darling?"

She listened fearfully, shivering in the cold night. Draco took his suit jacket off and wrapped it around her shoulders like a cloak. She liked it. It was warm and smelled of Draco. If she closed her eyes she would be almost be able to imagine that he was there, holding her.

"Trust me," he whispered.

Savannah nodded, although not without some hesitation.

"Some time this year would be nice, Malfoy," the female Carrow sibling spat, disgusted by the pair's affection for one another.

Draco kissed Savannah's forehead once more, before walking back across the cobbles to Borgin and Burke's, Alecto hurrying in his wake with her wand raised threateningly. Savannah cried as she cuddled into herself under Draco's jacket, and watched as he re-entered the antique shop to seal his fate.


	27. Sworn In

Savannah did not know how long she had been sat out in the night, resting against the steps which lead up to the entrance of Moribund's, although if she had to guess, she would probably say around twenty minutes.

She could not see exactly what was going on; Greyback had stationed himself in front of the shop door, blocking the sight of any potential onlookers, since Draco had used the _Bombarda_ charm to gain entry to the building.

But the Alley was empty. Savannah imagined that it must have been at least one o'clock in the morning. Twenty-four hours ago, she and Draco were drowning at the bottom of a lake, after falling into a trap set by Rookwood. They had escaped, but now, they had been defeated.

The Death Eaters had won. They had Draco. They were going to force him to take the Dark Mark and pledge his lifetime of service to the Dark Lord – the very thing that had caused them to run away from Malfoy Manor in the first place. It was over. They had been tricked, scammed, and had fallen at every hurdle.

In three days, they had been chased by a maniac fraud who wanted to erase their fingerprints with a glowing hot horse shoe. Savannah had been poisoned by Draco's parents, and then met by a Death Eater in disguise at the hospital. Dumbledore had been kind enough to offer them safety, a place where they'd never be found. And Savannah had blown it, only hours later. Falling into yet another trap, leading to her being kidnapped and assaulted by Greyback and Lucius. Not to mention, finding out that Lucius had assaulted Draco in the way he had wanted to assault Savannah. How many times, she did not know. It was certainly not the ideal situation for such shocking news like this to uncovered.

It was all such a mess. And it had all been for nothing.

Draco screamed loudly, the sound echoing all the way down the Alley. Savannah jumped and wrapped his suit jacket tighter around her shoulders. She began rocking back and forth to try and steady her nerves. She wanted nothing more than to charge in there and stun every single one of those monsters, grab Draco's arm and run. But Savannah knew that if she even tried to approach Borgin and Burke's, Greyback would not hesitate to send the Killing Curse her way.

Savannah gasped as she heard more of Draco's screams. _They're torturing him_ , she thought immediately. She tried to stand, to get a better view if nothing else, but the heavy blood loss from her neck wound was starting to seriously affect her balance; she toppled over onto the cobbles within seconds, scratching her chin against the ground and causing even more blood to escape her system.

All she could do was wait. Wait and cry and listen. She prayed to Merlin that Draco would make it out of there alive.

Finally, the young boy emerged from the antique shop, and it was blindingly obvious that he was traumatised. His skin was even paler than it usually was, giving him a ghost-like appearance. He shook vigorously and clutched his left forearm in pain, the Mark hidden beneath the sleeve of his black shirt.

"Draco!" Savannah called worriedly, using all her strength to rise from her collapsed position on the cobbles.

"Sav…"

It was as though an invisible veil had been draped over him. He could see things, and hear things, but he couldn't really _process_ them. Draco felt as if someone had placed an extra strong Bubble-head Charm on him, or like he had drunk an excessive amount of Firewhisky in a very short space of time; he could observe what was happening around him, but his brain was working too slowly to keep up with his senses.

He stumbled across the cobbled street to where Savannah lay. He sank clumsily to his knees, his hand still pressed over the area where his Dark Mark had been imprinted. He tried to speak, but his mind and his throat were not co-operating.

"Oh, _Merlin_ , Draco – what happened to you?" Savannah said gently.

She turned her head towards the hum of quiet chatter – Yaxley, Greyback, the Carrows and Lucius had vacated Borgin and Burke's, and were now hiding in the shadows of the Alley, each of them watching the young couple the way a beast would stalk its prey.

"I… I need… S-Snape…" Draco stuttered.

Savannah nodded quickly.

"Okay," she said. "We can go to him."

"He, he... he can f-fix you…"

She placed her hand over Draco's chest; his heartbeat was terrifyingly fast. Savannah's, however, was remarkably slow; the blood loss from her wounds had weakened her pulse to a dangerous level. She knew if that if she did not have the gash on her neck sealed promptly, it would not be long before her heart gave up completely.

"I know we… probably shouldn't Apparate l-like this," Draco panted. "But it's urgent."

Savannah nodded again.

"Ready?"

Draco took his right hand off his concealed Dark Mark and offered his arm to Savannah, who quickly wrapped her own arm around it.

 _Crack_.

They had had plenty of practise Apparating since their escape from Malfoy Manor, although this trip was most definitely the worst one yet. The pair tumbled onto the wet ground outside the house of Severus Snape, in the dingy town of Spinner's End.

Last time they had come to Snape for help, they had Apparated in a hidden spot a few streets away to avoid detection, but given the time of night, and the urgency of the situation, Draco had opted to land right outside his potion master's residence. He helped Savannah to stand, icy bullets of rain pelting down at an alarming speed and stinging their cold faces.

They hobbled over to the black front door. Draco knocked on the brass handle several times with his left arm, using his other to help keep Savannah upright.

Nothing.

"Professor!" he shouted above the noisy rain, rapping the knocker again. "Professor, please!"

The pair sighed with relief when a light shone through the frosted glass. Snape appeared at the door, still fully dressed in his robes. He took one look at Savannah and her beaten face and darted to the side, holding the door wide open.

"Quickly," he urged. "Get inside."


	28. Recovery

"In there," Snape nodded towards the nearest room as he closed the front door behind them.

Snape's living room had a resemblance to the Slytherin common room, with dark greens and harsh blacks and old silvers. A fire burned ferociously, omitting light and heat into the small room.

Draco lay Savannah down on a green couch and placed a black cushion underneath her head. He rolled her onto her side and her eyes drooped again, her grasp on Draco's hands loosening.

"Talk to her, Draco – don't let her slip away," Snape said immediately, as he opened a cabinet and began searching through its contents at a rapid pace.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled.

"What on Earth are you sorry for?" asked Draco, his brain recovering slightly from the trauma and allowing him to speak clearly again.

"I didn't know… I should have known…"

"You're not making sense, Sav," Draco said quickly, shaking his head.

If these were going to be the last few moments Draco ever spent with his fiancée, he wasn't going to spend them talking about his father.

"Take this and fill it with water, last door on the left," Snape instructed, passing a small cauldron to Draco.

He took the cauldron and ran to the kitchen, while Snape picked up a tray laden with several bottles of different coloured liquids and placed it on top of a chest of drawers beside the couch.

"Where are you bleeding from?" the potions master asked as he watched his couch become stained with the crimson liquid.

"My neck," mumbled Savannah groggily. "At the back."

Snape swiped her dark hair away at once to inspect the wound left by Greyback's and Lucius' nails – he flinched when he realised how deep it was. He opened a bottle which contained a red-coloured potion and poured it into a silver cup until it was full. He crouched down beside Savannah and handed her the cup.

"Drink," he encouraged, helping her lift the concoction to her mouth.

Draco re-entered the room with the cauldron full of water.

"Hang it on the hook above the fire," Snape told him. "And then come and take over here."

Draco did as Snape instructed, then returned to Savannah's side and held the cup as she drank the Blood-Replenishing Potion inside it. Snape went back over to his cabinet and extracted two small metal tools – a curled suture needle, and a pair of miniature forceps. He took them across the room to the fireplace, and dropped them in the cauldron of water.

"I'll have to sew the wound closed, but the needle must be sterilised first," he explained as he took the now empty silver cup from Draco and un-stoppered another bottle.

"Couldn't you just do it now a-and then… give her an… an antibiotic draught of some kind?" Draco asked worriedly.

"I neither have the ingredients nor the time to make one," replied Snape sharply. "It will be quicker waiting for the water to boil."

He re-filled the silver cup with an orange liquid.

"Pepperup Potion," he said, handing the cup back over to Draco who then carefully brought it to Savannah's lips. "To raise her temperature."

They repeated the process, this time with a light purple potion.

"Sleeping Draught," Snape said.

"Sleeping?" said Savannah.

"Yes, Falconer, unless you want to be awake when I pierce your neck repeatedly with a suture claw."

Her eyes widened. Draco offered her a comforting smile and then gave her the purple drink. She emptied the silver cup of its contents, and Snape began to dampen a handkerchief with some Murtlap Essence.

"Here," he said, giving the wet cloth to Draco as he removed the now sterile needle and forceps from the cauldron above the flames. "Rub it over the wounds to wipe away the blood, but wait until she's asleep. Otherwise the noise will wake the dead."

OoOoO

Savannah woke up in a strange bed.

 _Snape_.

The wound on her neck had now been closed and was sealed with a waterproof patch. Bandages had been wrapped around her hands. The blood had been removed from her face and chin, as well as her pyjamas and hooded jumper, which were now warm, dry and clean.

She was lying in a single bed underneath white sheets and a thick brown blanket. The place didn't smell like her home – like her father's cooking and her Black Labrador's fur. It didn't smell like Draco's home, either – like polished wood and expensive aftershave. It just smelled… old. Old and dank and disused.

She reached over to the side and clicked on a dusty lamp. Its glow was rather uninspiring, and offered just enough light for Savannah to inspect her surroundings. The room was plain, with only a wardrobe and some drawers and an old writing desk. The wallpaper and curtains were a murky mustard yellow. Savannah thought that this décor pretty much summed up her potion master's dull personality.

Where was Draco?

She got out of the little bed, slipped her trainers on, and opened the door which took her into the cramped hallway. She approached the staircase and slowly began to descend it, being careful not to lose her footing in the dark. She heard the voices of Draco and Snape conversing in muttered tones.

"I didn't think it would hurt so much."

Draco hissed.

"Sorry," said Snape. "It's burn-healing paste. Should help to numb the sting."

Savannah sat down on the bottom-most stair and listened curiously to her fiancé and her Professor inside the living room. Savannah could have sworn she heard Draco sniff, as though he'd been crying again.

"Thanks," he mumbled. "For what you did; for Savannah."

There was a clink of glass as Snape replaced the bottle of burn-healing paste into his cabinet.

"Who did it?" he asked simply.

"Greyback."

Snape offered no comment.

"You can wake her in a few minutes. She'll need to drink some more Blood-Replenishing Potion."

Savannah thought about entering the living room at that point, but realised it would give away the fact that she had been eavesdropping.

"Actually," drawled Snape. "There's no need. Come in, Falconer."

Savannah's heart skipped a beat. Then she cursed herself. _Of course_ , she remembered. Snape was the most skilled Legilimens out of all the Hogwarts professors.

She stood up and nervously entered the living room. Draco hastily tugged the sleeve of his black shirt downwards, but not before Savannah caught a glimpse of his new Dark Mark. It was inflamed around the edges, and looked angry and sore. She didn't quite know what to say. The awkwardness of the situation was significantly amplified by the fact that were currently in the presence of their potions master, who also bore the same marking as Draco. Snape poured her another cupful of the red potion.

"Thank you," she said shyly, taking the cup and drinking the unpleasant-tasting liquid.

She sat down on the couch (from which her blood had now vanished) next to Draco. The clock on top of the now extinguished fireplace told her that it was almost three o'clock in the morning.

"I'll be going to bed now," said Snape, closing the cabinet doors.

He looked at Savannah.

"You'll have to take more of that potion at breakfast."

"Breakfast?"

"And at several more times throughout the day. You'll stay here until you've finished my supply."

"Oh, I… thank you… Professor."

He then turned to Draco.

"Keep applying the burn-healing paste."

The young boy nodded.

"And note that Falconer's bedroom is out of bounds. You'll sleep down here."

Savannah's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as her Professor swiftly exited the living room and climbed the staircase. When they heard a door close, the pair burst into tears and entered a kiss that was full of love and grief and sorrow.


	29. A Warning

The following few days in Spinner's End were tense, awkward and emotional.

Tense because the pair knew that now Draco had officially become a Death Eater, he had no choice but to carry out what the Dark Lord had asked of him – to assassinate the Hogwarts headmaster. How? They did not know. The Dark Lord would not care, as long as before the end of next summer, Albus Dumbledore lay dead in the ground. And what would the repercussions be for Draco? Would the Death Eaters protect him, or would he be sent to Azkaban at sixteen years old with a life sentence to serve?

Awkward because living with Severus Snape was excruciatingly uncomfortable. Savannah was always paranoid that the Legilimens would delve into her mind without permission, and therefore have access to all of her deepest and most private thoughts. The way he moved around the place so quietly also unnerved her. He seemed to appear out of nowhere, leaving the young couple wondering just how long he had been spying on them from another room or listening in behind the door. The fact that Savannah had consumed her Professor's entire supply of Blood-Replenishing Potion, and Draco had used almost a full tube of his burn-healing paste did not help.

And emotional because, after two years of suppressing the greatest cause of pain in his life, Draco told his fiancée about the torrent of abuse he had suffered at the hands of his father since he was a child. Snape did not disclose that he had overheard these conversations. They cried to each other. Held each other. Promised that no matter what challenges they were sure to face in the coming year, to stick by each other's side. At first, Draco had made a feeble attempt to end their engagement, but Savannah was having none of it. She interrupted his initial suggestion with a delicate kiss, which was cut short when Snape entered the room and gave them a disapproving glare.

Two Hogwarts letters, one addressed to each of them, soon landed on the doorstep of their potions master's house, which contained details of the spell books and equipment they would need to purchase before their next school year commenced. That same day, the pair made a cautious trip to a ghastly quiet Diagon Alley, where they bought their books and new sets of robes as quickly and as discreetly as possible. The only hub of activity came from a joke shop which had recently been opened by a pair of identical Gryffindor twins. 'Weasels', Draco had called them, although Savannah was sure that this was not their correct name.

It was now Saturday evening, and the pair were packing their things into a shared trunk which Snape had donated to them, ready to leave for King's Cross the next morning to board the Hogwarts Express. They were doing so in the library in which they had first told their Head of House about their desire to flee – Snape still refused to allow Draco to enter Savannah's bedroom upstairs. The young boy carelessly threw his new copy of _Confronting the Faceless_ , the Defence Against the Dark Arts textbook studied by sixth year students, into the trunk. Savannah did not say anything, but instead, gently interlocked her fingers with his. Draco looked at his fiancée. His grey eyes were sad, and scared.

They immediately broke their physical contact when the door to the library opened.

"The Dark Lord wishes to speak with you."

Snape did not speak in his usual sarcastic tone. Tonight, he spoke with what was almost a hint of concern in his voice. Draco recoiled slightly and his stern expression faltered.

"When?" he asked, his bottom lip trembling.

"Shortly. He is travelling as we speak."

"He's coming here?" said Savannah in disbelief.

Snape nodded.

Savannah squirmed. She had been in the same building as the Dark Lord before, but Malfoy Manor was much larger than Snape's old terraced house. This time, she would not be several long corridors and grand staircases away from the most feared wizard in the land, but merely a few feet. And, Draco… this would be the first time Draco had met with the Dark Lord since their failed attempt to escape. Surely, he would want to punish him for his disloyalty.

Savannah clutched onto Draco's sleeve in panic.

"Go upstairs," he told her.

Savannah did not argue.

"Stay up there until I come to get you."

"But…"

"Go." Snape interjected, agreeing with Draco.

There was a dangerous silence, before Savannah abandoned the two men and went up the staircase to the bedroom which she had come to call hers. She did not turn on the light, but instead, curled up on top of the little bed and listened in the dark, wand in hand.

There was the sound of roaring flames from beneath; the Dark Lord had arrived. She heard his silky, slippery voice greet Draco and Snape, although she could not make out his exact words. She held her breath as the Dark Lord and Snape conversed with each other, while Draco remained mostly silent. Then she heard him cry.

Savannah uncurled herself and slowly approached the bedroom door. She put her ear to the wood, trying to figure out what was being said, but it was no use. Her hand hovered over the door's handle. She hesitated, remembering Draco's command for her to stay where she was until the Dark Lord had gone. But then he cried again.

She gasped and turned the brass handle ever so slowly. She opened the door a mere fraction, terrified that any creaking noise would alert the Dark Lord of her presence.

"My dear Draco."

Savannah's eyes widened and her stomach flipped as she heard the Dark Lord speak for the first time in her life.

"All of my most loyal followers were in your position once. They were all given a task, a challenge. An initiation, if you will."

Savannah opened the door another fraction, eager to hear what would come next.

"It is merely routine, Draco. To prove your dedication to my cause, and your commitment to me, your new master."

The Dark Lord spoke slowly and teasingly, as though he was in no rush and took pleasure in making Draco squirm.

"Dumbledore is a popular man. It will be difficult to kill him, and face the wrath of your teachers and peers. But it is essential. Albus Dumbledore has something I desire. Something I need. And only in his death, will it become mine."

Savannah bit her lip as she learned more of the Dark Lord's plan for Dumbledore and for Draco.

"Now, we must address a certain act of unacceptable behaviour which you recently committed, Draco. They say fear is natural. That we… need fear to survive. But I disagree. Fear is weak, Draco. What you did, running away from your master, was cowardly. But, I am a forgiving Lord. I understand. You are young, inexperienced. It was merely an ill-thought out decision made in panic, yes?"

"Yes," replied Draco meekly.

"But let me make one thing clear, Draco. Should you attempt something so foolish again, I shall be forced to punish you."

"I understand." Draco mumbled.

"The young lady who accompanied you on your travels. The half-blood. Where is she?"

Savannah held her breath.

"She left yesterday evening," said Snape calmly, using his Occlumency skills to prevent his master from detecting his lie. "Draco instructed her to go."

"Trouble in paradise, Draco?" the evil wizard laughed maliciously. "You were planning to marry her, were you not?"

"Not anymore," said Draco quietly. "She's too much. She'll distract me. I see that now."

Savannah continued to listen apprehensively.

"Shame," the Dark Lord sang. "I thought you made a beautiful couple. But I sense you are still fond of her, Draco – despite her impure blood status."

Another pause.

"Which is why, if you choose to act on any further impulses you may have to abandon your master… I shall find young… _Savannah_ … and terminate her. That shall be all for now, Draco. Do enjoy your final trip to school tomorrow."

There was another roar of flames as the Dark Lord re-entered the Floo network. Savannah closed the door and retreated to the bed, where she put her hand over her mouth in sickening fear.

She heard Snape mumble something to Draco, and then she heard Draco's footsteps climbing the staircase rapidly. Her terrified fiancé opened the door, Savannah stood up, and the pair burst into tears as they clung to each other.


	30. Return to Reality

Snape let Draco sleep in the bedroom that night, although neither Draco nor Savannah got much rest. They were too scared to talk about the events of the evening as they were unsure exactly how much of their discussion Snape would relay to the Dark Lord. It was safer to keep quiet. The pair lay entwined in the single bed, both experiencing an overwhelming sense of exhaustion, yet their bloodshot eyes did not close.

They left early the next morning for King's Cross. They thanked their Professor for his aid and his hospitality. Savannah wondered if their relationship with the intimidating wizard would change after everything they had been through. She imagined what it would be like, walking into Snape's potions classroom tomorrow alongside several other sixth years, who would all be oblivious as to what the teacher had done for her and Draco. He was a mean, intolerant and petty man, but Savannah knew that he was the only person who could truly help Draco now.

The young wizard cast a shrinking charm on the large trunk in which they had packed their belongings, so that it was now the size of a matchbox. Savannah grinned, impressed, as Draco picked up the miniature trunk with his thumb and forefinger, as though it weighed nothing more than a feather, and placed it in the pocket of his suit.

They said a final goodbye to Snape, and then Apparated to London, where they landed behind a delivery lorry at a rear entrance to the station. They gasped in fright when a Muggle wearing a high-visibility jacket and a construction hat rounded the corner.

"Oi!" he yelled, waving a clipboard. "This area's out of bounds! What are you two doing here?"

"S-sorry," Savannah stumbled, as she and Draco backed away nervously.

The Muggle tutted and shook his head, but then returned to his work. Draco and Savannah ran away in the opposite direction, but slowed down as they approached the main entrance to the train station so as not to arouse suspicion in the hundreds of Muggles who surrounded them. They descended a busy staircase, picked up some food for the journey in a little grocery store by the ticket gates, and then approached platforms nine and ten.

A pool of witches and wizards dressed in Muggle clothing mulled around the wall which would grant them access to platform nine and three quarters. The parents pushed trolleys laden with trunks and cages, some of which housed owls, and others, cats. What a sight it must have been for the Muggles, thought Savannah, as she watched a small family run with their trolley through the barrier, which appeared to be made of solid bricks, and disappear.

The pair waited for their turn to cross the threshold, all the while peering around them in search for any undercover Death Eaters who may have been lurking behind pillars. When it was time, Draco placed his hand on the small of Savannah's back and they walked at a speed straight through the wall without the slightest hint of difficulty.

They emerged onto platform nine and three quarters, with its magnificent scarlet steam engine. Older students greeted their friends and boarded the train together, excited to start a new term at Hogwarts, while some nervous first years received words of encouragement from their mothers and fathers. Draco took the miniature trunk out of his suit pocket, placed it on the ground, and used his wand to return it to its original size. A footman then took it from them and placed it in the luggage car at the back of the train.

"Draco!" came a female voice.

Draco and Savannah turned around and saw their fellow Slytherin, Pansy Parkinson, eagerly skip down the platform. Blaise Zabini, their other classmate, followed at a much more leisurely pace.

"Oh, great," Draco muttered sarcastically.

Savannah smirked in amusement. She couldn't help but laugh at Pansy's efforts to gain Draco's attention. The plain girl had taken a shine to him in their first year, when they sat next to each other at the welcome feast on the night of their Sorting. The feeling was not mutual, however, that did not deter Pansy. Since then, she had jumped at every opportunity to commend, commiserate or comfort Draco, despite how unwelcome her advances were.

Pansy grinned and threw her arms around the blonde boy, who lost his balance and reluctantly hugged her back. Then, she stepped over to Savannah, falsely cooed her name, and invited her in for a kiss on each cheek. Savannah accepted the greeting, but then rolled her eyes at Draco once Pansy and Blaise had boarded the train.

Savannah wished she and Draco could have found a private compartment where they could discuss what happened last night, but it was impossible with Pansy around. She dragged the two of them into a car with several other Slytherins, then proceeded to bore and irritate them as the train pulled out of Kings Cross.

Draco and Savannah held hands under the table and tried to switch off their hearing as Pansy rabbited on about the most trivial of topics in an attempt to impress Draco. Blaise hardly got a word in edgeways, and Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe, who were sitting nearby, soon screwed up their faces in annoyance at her endless boasting. Three hours later, Draco could take no more.

"Pansy," he growled, slamming his fist on the table, his teeth clenched and his brow furrowed.

Pansy looked hurt, Blaise, alarmed, and Savannah, concerned.

"Alright, mate," said Blaise cautiously, as Pansy shrunk back in her seat.

There was a frustrated silence while Draco took some staggered breaths.

"Go and get some air," said Savannah quietly, rubbing his leg.

Draco looked at his fiancée, and without a word, stood up and flounced out of the car, slamming the sliding door behind him.


	31. Fun

An awkwardness hovered in the air above Savannah, Blaise and Pansy.

"What's gotten into him?" asked Blaise quietly.

Savannah opened her mouth to respond but decided not to, looking around at the other students who were staring at the three of them.

"Draco's never spoke to me like that," whined Pansy, sticking her bottom lip out dramatically.

"You provoked him," said Savannah defensively.

She, too, got up and exited the train car, leaving a bewildered Pansy and Blaise behind.

She found Draco standing in the empty vestibule area, the window pulled down and allowing fresh air to whoosh through the train. His back was turned to her as he watched the countryside scenery flash by, yet he sensed the person standing behind him was his fiancée.

"I can't go back in there," he said without turning around.

"She's a handful," Savannah agreed, leaning against the doorframe to the car she had just left.

They stood in silence for a while. Savannah knew that it was a bad idea to smother Draco with affection when he was angry. He responded to her when he was upset, but when he lost his temper, he preferred to calm down on his own, so that he didn't take his frustrations out on others.

"We can find somewhere else," she said eventually. "Somewhere away from them."

Draco sighed and stepped away from the window.

"We haven't even reached the castle yet and I'm already cracking up," he muttered, looking at the floor in shame.

Their conversation was interrupted by the witch pushing the confectionary trolley entering the vestibule area.

"Anything from the trolley, dears?" she asked kindly.

Savannah couldn't help but smile – there was a rather impressive collection of goods on the little trolley. Pies and tarts and cakes of all sorts, crystallised pineapple, caramel cobwebs, Fizzing Whizbees, jelly skulls, liquorice wands, Pepper Imps, and, not to mention, Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. She was about to pass up on the offer when Draco said, "She'll take a Chocolate Frog."

Savannah looked at Draco in admiration as he took his wallet out of his suit.

"And he'll take some treacle fudge," Savannah told the trolley lady, taking her purse out of her handbag.

The pair smiled childishly as they handed each other their favourite treat. They thanked the trolley lady and began to walk further down the train, looking for a quieter spot to spend the rest of the journey. All of the compartments were occupied, but they managed to find an empty table in another car which, thankfully, did not seem to contain any sixth years.

They tucked into their sweets, along with the rest of the food Savannah had packed for their lunch. They talked about things, innocent things that they used to talk about, before the Dark Lord had taken an interest in recruiting Draco, and watched hypnotically as the day wore on and the scenery and the weather outside of the windows changed.

"Want to play Exploding Snap?"

Draco and Savannah turned their heads to three first years sitting at the table across from them. A young boy with dark hair held up a deck of cards and looked at the older couple hopefully, while another boy gave them a devilish smile and a little girl bit her lip nervously. Draco and Savannah looked at each other in pleasant disbelief.

"Sure," said an astonished Savannah – it was not a common occurrence for first years to approach older students so confidently.

The boy with the deck of cards cheered, and the three of them joined Draco and Savannah at their table. Draco made room for the two boys to side beside him, while the girl took up her place next to Savannah. As the boy with the dark hair began setting out the cards, the young girl leaned in closer and whispered something in Savannah's ear.

"I don't know how to play this," she admitted with a worried look.

"That's okay – I didn't either when I first came to Hogwarts."

The Muggle-born girl smiled, relieved.


	32. Pain

The journey from Hogsmeade Station to the school was not as pleasant this year as it had been previously. When the students alighted from the carriages which pulled themselves up to the castle gates, they found Aurors were stationed there, waiting to search people before allowing them entry to the castle. Long queues formed as scanning each student's body with a wand was a rather lengthy process. The Aurors insisted that they provide some form of identification, too, which only added to the delay in getting out of the cold and dark. No doubt all these extra security measures were due to Dumbledore's awareness that the Dark Lord was gaining power again.

Once Draco and Savannah were given clearance, they hurried up the stone steps to the Entrance Hall, dressed in their Slytherin robes which they had changed into on the train. They filed into the familiar Great Hall, with its four long tables, one for each House, its flames held in brackets around the perimeter, and its enchanted ceiling which had been bewitched to look like the night sky outside (this evening it was a cloudy grey). The pair joined their fellow Slytherins at their table, although Draco made sure there were plenty of people sitting in between him and Pansy.

Soon, Professor Dumbledore called for quiet as Professor McGonagall was about to lead the new first years into the Great Hall for their Sorting Ceremony. The large oak doors opened, and a group of frightened eleven-year-olds followed Professor McGonagall to the teacher's table at the top of the Hall. A glazed look appeared on Draco's face, as he lost focus on what was happening around him, his elbow on the table and his chin in his hand. Savannah looked concerned but did not say anything, and instead listened to the Sorting Hat's speech about remaining strong in these troubled times, and clapped at the appropriate moment whenever it decided on the right House for a student.

She watched as the young boy who suggested playing Exploding Snap on the train was Sorted into Gryffindor – his name was Samuel Norcross. The Muggle-born girl – Felicity Pritchard – was placed in Ravenclaw. The boy with the devilish smile, called Jonah Starling, joined them in Slytherin.

When the Sorting Hat had placed the final student – Mila Ziegler – into Hufflepuff, Professor Dumbledore took to the podium in front of the teachers' table to address the Hall.

"The very best of evenings to you all."

' _Shush'_ sounds echoed round the large room.

"First of all, let me introduce the newest member of our staff – Horace Slughorn."

The students clapped as a short, plump wizard with brown curly hair stood up from the teachers' table and gave a small bow. He was dressed in fine robes, and was smiling rather bashfully.

"Professor Slughorn, I'm pleased to say, has agreed to resume his old post as Potions Master. Meanwhile, the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts will be taken by Professor Snape."

There was a mixed reaction to this news. Gasps and mutters of ' _Snape?_ ' could be heard from the disapproving Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables.

It was no secret that Snape had wanted to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts for several years, although he had always been denied the position. So why now? The school had had a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher every year since Draco and Savannah had arrived – even longer, according to the older students. Some said that the post was cursed, although no one knew the reason or who cursed it. So why, after all these years, would Dumbledore give Snape the job? Did he no longer trust him? This would be the perfect opportunity to get rid of him, if that was the case. Savannah felt uneasy at this realisation; as strict and as unfair as Snape was, Draco needed his help to please the Dark Lord. She clapped for her Head of House nevertheless.

Dumbledore's speech then took a rather dark turn. At the acknowledgement of being searched by Aurors before entering the castle, the students visibly paid more attention to the headmaster. Backs straightened, chins lifted, and heads tilted sideways. Then, the mention of the name of the most feared wizard in the land triggered low, concerned discussion amongst many students. The Slytherin table stayed silent.

An awkwardness always hovered above Slytherin students whenever Voldemort was mentioned by a teacher. It was true – almost all of Voldemort's followers had originated from Slytherin house, and many current Slytherin students were related to Death Eaters – Draco included. They did not all agree with the Dark Lord's views and ambitions, although Savannah could not deny that plenty of them did.

When Dumbledore's speech concluded, the welcome feast began. Trays upon trays of delicious looking food appeared from thin air, lining the tables from one end to the other. The aromas mixed in the air and the students tucked into their dinner while chatting excitedly. Draco, however, did not reach for any food.

"Try and eat something," Savannah said quietly, placing her hand on top of Draco's and giving it an encouraging squeeze.

Draco took a deep breath and moved his hand away. He closed his eyes and furrowed his brow, as though the lights of the floating candles were too vibrant for him, the chatter of the students too deafening. He made to stand up from the bench but Savannah grabbed his robes to stop him.

"You can't leave now," she muttered seriously.

Draco slowly sunk back onto the bench and took a violent swig from his goblet. Savannah looked in the direction of Snape, only to find that he was already watching the two of them.

Draco stayed for a while longer, but when the meat and potatoes and vegetables disappeared, and cakes, tarts and ice cream took their place, he suddenly shot up from the Slytherin table without a word and exited the Hall, mostly unnoticed by the awestruck students. The people who did notice him, however, included Pansy and Blaise, who both gave Savannah a suspicious look. Savannah smiled awkwardly at them and returned to her dessert.

When Dumbledore wished the students goodnight, Savannah quickly set off to find Draco. She knew that he couldn't be in the common room, since he had run away before the new password had been given. Then she realised. That strange expression on his face in the Great Hall, with his eyes screwed up – he was in pain. His Mark was hurting him.

Savannah rushed down the staircase off to the side of the Entrance Hall. Her footsteps echoed louder and she began to feel chillier as she descended deeper into the dungeons. She illuminated her wand to guide her as she travelled through the underground passageways. She turned a corner, and saw that the door to Snape's classroom had been opened.

She approached it slowly, wand still outstretched. Savannah could hear the frantic clinking of glass, like the sound made by Snape when he had opened and closed his potions cabinet in Spinner's End. She could also hear a boy cry; Draco.

She found her fiancé scavenging through their Professor's supply of ingredients and ready-made concoctions. Cabinet after cabinet, thrown open, its contents inspected carelessly and then abandoned. When Draco had exhausted all the cabinets, he turned to the drawers in Snape's desk. He was so engrossed in finding some burn-healing paste that he didn't even notice Savannah standing in the doorway.

"Draco…"

The blonde boy jumped backwards in fright, dropping a bottle of ink he had found in one of the drawers. It smashed when it hit the stone floor of the dungeon classroom, and the dense black liquid stained Draco's robes. He yelped, clutched his left forearm with his right hand and looked at Savannah.

"It hurts," he admitted in barely more than a whisper.

Savannah felt as though she had received a blow to the chest. She quickly entered the classroom and pulled a crying Draco into a warm embrace. He tried to hug her back, but couldn't bring himself to release the pressure he was applying to his arm.

Savannah sat him down on the chair behind the desk, and took over the search for burn-healing paste. In the second drawer, she found a small tube that looked promising. She showed it to Draco, who nodded eagerly and reached for the soothing mixture.

"I'll do it," Savannah said quietly, unscrewing the cap.

Draco did not want Savannah to see the horrible marking on his arm, but he allowed her to roll up the sleeves of his robes and shirt nevertheless. The black skull with the snake spiralling out of its mouth looked shockingly pronounced against his porcelain skin. Savannah tried her best not to react as she knew that this would make Draco feel even more ashamed and disgusted with himself. Instead, she applied some burn-healing paste onto her fingertip, and stroked the length of the cursed tattoo.

Draco instantly sighed with relief. Savannah felt sick; it was moving. _Squirming_. Still, she ignored the queasy feeling in her full stomach and rubbed more paste into the Mark, paying particular attention to the edges which were still scarlet and inflamed. Neither of them spoke while she did this. Eventually, Savannah broke the silence.

"Can you feel that?"

She did not look at Draco when she posed the question. He was a very proud young man, and had only just grown comfortable with showing vulnerability to his fiancée. She did not, under any circumstances, want to jeopardise this.

"Feel it moving?"

Savannah nodded, still not looking at Draco as she slowly screwed the cap back onto the tube of paste.

"It's worse when I'm quiet. When I start thinking about… what I have to do." Draco explained. "It's like he knows. Like, he makes it burn when he knows I'm worried. Some sort of punishment for being scared, I guess."

Savannah tucked the small tube into the pocket of Draco's robes, then tenderly pulled his sleeves back down to cover the Mark. She stood over Draco, held his face in her hands and crouched down to kiss the top of his head. Draco leaned into Savannah and wrapped his arms around her slim waist, where he stayed until sleepiness overcame them both.


End file.
